U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for his insistence that Ukraine must defeat Russia, calling it a “false binary” and asserting that the conflict should end through negotiation rather than military victory.
In remarks on Sunday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s survival depends on winning the war against Russia, emphasizing that victory is essential to preserving national independence, geopolitical alignment, and identity. He warned that Ukraine would not prevail if the United States aligned with Russia.
Bessent criticized Zelenskiy’s position as a flawed approach, stating: “Zelensky presents a false binary this morning that Ukraine must win.” The Treasury secretary emphasized that the priority should be ending the war through a negotiated settlement rather than declaring a victor.
Bessent noted that President Trump has made it clear he wants to end the conflict and is working toward a settlement.
Zelenskiy’s comments followed escalating tensions with Trump over sanctions targeting Russian and Ukrainian military strikes on Russian energy facilities. Last week, Trump suspended sanctions he had imposed, including 500% tariffs on Russian imports and 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Trump lifted restrictions on Russian diesel exports to address rising fuel prices, a move he claimed was prompted by Zelenskiy’s refusal to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The president blamed these strikes for global fuel shortages and surging pump prices — an issue critical in the lead-up to U.S. midterm elections. These actions have been widely criticized in Ukraine as a betrayal of its efforts to maintain Western pressure on Russia.
In a recent statement, Trump defended the moves, stating that Ukrainian military operations on Russian refineries drive up fuel costs and that he is committed to brokering peace without driving Russia away from negotiations. Trump also asserted that Zelenskiy has no intention of ending the war despite receiving substantial U.S. aid.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov similarly criticized Zelensky, suggesting the president lacks desire for a settlement because his government would collapse under an agreement acceptable to both the United States and Russia.
Zelenskiy, whose presidential term expired in 2024, has refused to hold new elections, citing martial law. Moscow maintains that he is illegitimate, and Trump recently called for his resignation.
Since returning to office, Trump has revived peace talks with Russia, which were largely suspended under his predecessor, President Biden. These efforts have produced some results, including prisoner exchanges, but the diplomatic push remains overshadowed by U.S. military actions in the Middle East and has yet to yield a lasting peace deal.
Moscow has stated it prefers negotiations but insists any settlement must address root causes of the conflict and include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian territory, protection for ethnic Russians in Ukraine, denazification, and neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine.