Zelenskyy Not Ready for Peace, Says Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard- wna24

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, claiming that his goals for Ukraine differ from those of President Donald Trump, who she said is committed to peace.

“President Trump is committed to peace and to freedom,” Gabbard said in an interview on Fox News Sunday with host Shannon Bream. “We’re seeing this big divergence here between his position, his commitment to these values and the interests of the American people and the interests of President Zelenskyy and these European leaders.”

Her remarks come just days after a tense White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy collapsed in dramatic fashion. The confrontation, which unfolded during a press conference in the Oval Office on Friday, escalated after Zelenskyy made a skeptical remark about diplomacy with Russia, drawing a sharp response from Vice President JD Vance. Trump and Vance then openly criticized the Ukrainian leader, and Trump ultimately asked Zelenskyy to leave.

Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social that Zelenskyy “is not ready for peace.”

Echoing Trump’s sentiment, Gabbard suggested that Zelenskyy is unwilling to negotiate a peace deal unless it meets his own conditions.

“President Zelenskyy has different aims in mind,” Gabbard said. “He has said that he wants to end this war, but he will only accept an end apparently that leads to what he views as Ukraine’s victory even if it comes at an incredibly high cost of potentially World War III or even a nuclear war.”

Some Democratic lawmakers and European leaders, however, have criticized the White House meeting, calling it an “ambush” of Zelenskyy.

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a strong supporter of Ukraine, condemned Trump and Vance’s treatment of Zelenskyy.

“I saw the meeting as a despicable display of bullying by the President of the United States and the Vice President of the United States against somebody whose country is at war with Putin,” Van Hollen said on Sunday. “Who wants peace more than anybody, but he also wants to make sure that it’s a durable, sustainable peace.”

Gabbard placed the responsibility on Zelenskyy to mend ties with the U.S. after the heated Oval Office exchange.

“When President Zelenskyy directly challenged President Trump and Vice President Vance in front of the media and the American people, he really showed his lack of interest in any real, good faith negotiations,” Gabbard said. “This has created a huge rift in the relationship.”

She added that before Trump would be willing to “reengage” in discussions, there would need to be efforts to rebuild trust.

“There’s going to have to be a rebuilding of any kind of interest in good faith negotiations I think before President Trump is going to be willing to reengage on this,” she said.

Gabbard also criticized Zelenskyy’s leadership, pointing to Ukraine’s decision to postpone elections and restrict opposition parties. Trump himself has previously labeled Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections,” and reports indicate that U.S. negotiators have raised the issue of elections in Ukraine during peace talks with Russia.

“We could go down a whole laundry list of issues that are against the values of democracy and freedom,” Gabbard said. “So it really begs the question, as Vice President Vance said again in Munich, it’s clear that they’re standing against Putin, obviously that’s clear. But what are they actually really fighting for? And are they aligned with the values that they claim to hold in agreement with us?”

While the fallout from the White House confrontation continues, Gabbard’s comments reflect a growing divide over how to approach the war in Ukraine—and whether Zelenskyy’s strategy aligns with U.S. priorities.