NATO ISSUES WARNING TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY AFTER WORLD WAR 3 WARNING FROM TRUMP
Earlier this week, President Zelenskyy and Donald Trump had a tense meeting. The Ukrainian president flew to Washington, DC, on Friday, February 28, to meet with President Trump and his vice president, JD Vance. In recent weeks, Trump has invited several heads of state to the White House, including Emmanuel Macron of France and Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom. These meetings appear to go fairly well, but Zelenskyy's conversation with Trump, in which the 78-year-old accused Zelenskyy of "gambling with World War 3" amid the nation's ongoing war with Russia, did not go as planned.
"You don't have the cards right now," Trump said to the Ukrainian. "With us, you start having cards ... You're gambling with the lives of millions of people! You're gambling with World War 3! You're gambling with World War 3. And what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country — this country."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has commented on the situation and called it "unfortunate" in light of their tumultuous meeting. The military alliance's leader expressed his confidence in Trump's commitment to NATO and his "commitment to bring Ukraine to a durable peace." Rutte also called on Zelenskyy to mend fences with the US president. "What I told President Zelenskyy is that I said, I think you have to find a way, dear Volodymyr, to restore your relationship with Donald Trump and the American administration," he said, referring to a phone conversation he had with the Ukrainian leader on Friday. "That will be crucial in the future."
Starmer gave Zelenskyy a warm welcome when he arrived in the UK and reassured him that he had "full backing across the United Kingdom." He told the president of Ukraine, who has been at war with Russia for three years, "Let me just say that you’re very, very welcome here in Downing Street." "That is the British people coming out to show how much they support you, how much they support Ukraine, and our absolute determination to stand with you – unwavering determination – and to achieve what we both want to achieve, which is a lasting peace," Starmer continued.
"A lasting peace for Ukraine based on sovereignty and security for Ukraine – so important for Ukraine, so important for Europe and so important for the United Kingdom," the British prime minister added. Zelenskyy is reportedly set to meet with King Charles today (March 2), during his visit to England.