Zelensky Eyes Stunning Diplomatic Comeback
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
U.S. President Donald Trump's growing criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent days could point to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gaining the upper hand diplomatically as wrangling over negotiations to end the war continue.
When asked which leader caused more irritation for Trump, Zelensky said, according to Ukrainian media: "I may say nasty things, but I'm telling the truth," compared with Putin, who "may sometimes say very nice things, but they are false."
In a week in which Trump called Putin "crazy" and accused him of "playing with fire" Ukrainian experts told Newsweek that Zelensky may exploit the U.S. president's growing frustration with his Russian counterpart to strengthen Kyiv's position.
Another expert said Trump's words do not mean Zelensky is in his favor, but the U.S. president is running out of patience with Putin. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
This combination photo created on May 25, 2025, shows (from left) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This combination photo created on May 25, 2025, shows (from left) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Getty Images
Why It Matters
After Russia rejected the U.S. administration's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire ahead of talks for a more permanent agreement, a plan backed by Kyiv, Trump has questioned publicly whether Putin is stringing him along.
Zelensky's comments that Trump preferred dealing with him as a straight talker over Putin's delaying tactics suggest that Ukraine's president could be trying to highlight greater diplomatic leverage.
What To Know
Kyiv and its allies were worried about what Trump's return to the White House would mean for U.S. support for Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression.
The U.S. president has criticized his Ukrainian counterpart, no more so than when he accused him of risking "World War III" in a fiery White House exchange on February 28.
But since then, the leaders have struck a minerals deal and held a widely reported conversation in the Vatican on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral which signaled that the air between them had been cleared.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 28, 2025, in Berlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 28, 2025, in Berlin.Trump may continue to issue jibes at Zelensky, but the U.S. president took a pointed swipe at Putin following Moscow's missile and drone barrage on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine last week, calling the Russian leader "crazy."
Trump doubled down on his criticism of Putin, whom he said would do well to remember that if it were not for the U.S. leader, "lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia," prompting derision from Russian state media.
Zelensky told reporters Tuesday that despite a sometimes-testy relationship with Trump, the White House is still more irritated by Putin than him because in dialogue with the Russian leader, "you are really alone."
Viktor Kovalenko, a Ukrainian military veteran who produces the Ukraine Decoded Substack, told Newsweek that Zelensky will attempt to exploit Trump's growing frustration with Putin to strengthen Kyiv's position.
He believes that Zelensky will also try to portray himself domestically as an influential leader who "played Trump like a fiddle" as Kyiv works hard to win over U.S. Republicans, capitalizing on any small opportunity to achieve that.
But frustration with Putin does not automatically mean that Trump is becoming a fan of Zelensky as the U.S. administration keeps a "diplomatic, healthy distance" from both leaders, Kovalenko added.
Mark Temnycky, non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said Putin and his officials frustrated Trump at the same time as Zelensky and his administration had met U.S. officials for proposals on how to end the war.
This meant a more favorable relationship between Zelensky and Trump and make Kyiv's prospects for achieving a peace plan with the U.S. more promising, Temnycky told Newsweek.
Also, Russia's latest deadly strikes on Ukraine that Trump condemned may persuade U.S. officials to further cooperate with Kyiv, he added.
Peter Rough, director, at the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank, told Newsweek that Putin had fallen out of favor with Trump, but that did not mean that Zelensky was in the U.S. leader's good graces.
The White House is less optimistic about the chances for a negotiated agreement than before and most of that is a result of Putin's intransigence, he added.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on his relationship with Trump: "I may say unpleasant things, but I tell the truth. And I say what I think."
Ukrainian geopolitical analyst Viktor Kovalenko: "Zelensky will attempt to exploit Trump's growing frustration with Putin to strengthen Ukraine's position before the second round of negotiations, and to portray himself domestically as an influential leader who 'played Trump like a fiddle.'"
Peter Rough, director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia at the Hudson Institute, told Newsweek: "I don't think Zelensky is in Trump's favor, but Putin is increasingly out of the president's favor.
"The White House appears less sanguine about the prospect of a negotiated agreement than it was months ago, and most of that is now attributed to Putin's intransigence."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on the prospect of peace talks: "We need to wait for an answer from the Ukrainian side. Only then can we begin to move forward."
What Happens Next
Trump said Putin has an additional two-week deadline to take a ceasefire proposal seriously before the U.S. imposes new sanctions and other penalties, although it is unclear if this ultimatum may shift.
Meanwhile, Moscow said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio "specific proposals" for the next round of peace talks.
Moscow had earlier proposed talks with Ukraine in Istanbul to take place on June 2, as a follow-up to the first round on May 16 that Putin notably did not attend.
Rough said that Trump is hoping for a negotiated outcome in the coming months and is awaiting the Russian offer that Putin promised in a phone call.
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