Russia calls Zelenskyy’s visit to White House ‘complete political, diplomatic failure’

By Ali Cura and Efe Ozkan

MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (AA) — Russia on Saturday described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the US as a "complete political and diplomatic failure" of the Ukrainian government.

This came a day after a heated exchange between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance at the Oval Office.

Zelenskyy is “inappropriate, corrupt and incapable of reaching an agreement,” Maria Zakharova, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on social media.

Claiming that Zelenskyy's only concern is to preserve his power, Zakharova said: "That is why he has destroyed the opposition, created a totalitarian state, and is mercilessly sending millions of his citizens to their deaths.

"In the current political conditions, which are worsening for the Kiev regime, he is unable to show a sense of responsibility and is therefore obsessed with continuing the war and refuses peace, which means death for him."

Zakharova emphasized that in order to achieve a “truly fair and sustainable” peace in Ukraine, the root causes of the crisis must be eliminated, and said that Russia's previously stated goals have not changed.

“The sooner Kyiv and the leading capitals of Europe realize this, the closer a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis will be,” she said.