According to Lord Mandelson, Kyiv should commit to a ceasefire before Russia does, and US Speaker Mike Johnson has hinted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy may need to step down in order for Ukraine to reach a peace agreement with Russia, reports Sky.
“Something has to change,” Mr Johnson told NBC.
“Either he needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country to do that,” he added, referring to Mr Zelenskyy, reports Sky.
“It is up to the Ukrainians to figure that out,” the Republican stated, reports Sky.
Meanwhile Lord Mandelson, the UK’s ambassador to the US, told ABC News: “I think that Ukraine should be the first to commit to a ceasefire and defy the Russians to follow. And then, as part of the unfolding plan for this negotiation, the Europeans and perhaps some other countries too have got to consider how they are going to put forces on the ground to play their part in providing enduring security and deterrence for Ukraine,” reports Sky.
The comments were made two days after a catastrophic meeting in the Oval Office that turned into a yelling confrontation between the Ukrainian president and Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance.
Mr Johnson said: “What President Zelenskyy did in the White House was effectively signal to us that he’s not ready for that yet and I think that’s a great disappointment,” reports Sky.
A potential deal between the US and Ukraine to cooperatively exploit Ukraine’s natural resources was in limbo because to the consequences.
Following the Oval Office discussion on Friday, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also raised the possibility of Mr. Zelenskyy’s resignation, stating that the Ukrainian leader “either needs to resign or send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change,” reports Sky.
“We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians and end this war,” Mr Waltz told CNN when asked whether Mr Trump wants Mr Zelenskyy to resign.
Mike Waltz, the White House’s national security advisor, stated that it is unclear if Mr. Zelenskyy is ready to negotiate a permanent peace with Russia.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he hasn’t talked to Mr. Zelenskyy since Friday’s altercation.
“We’ll be ready to re-engage when they’re ready to make peace,” Mr Rubio told ABC, reports Sky.
However, Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told ABC that she was “appalled” by the altercation in the Oval Office and that Mr. Zelenskyy had been thrilled to sign an anticipated minerals contract when she had visited him prior to his visit to the White House on Friday.
“There is still an opening here” for a peace deal, she said, reports Sky.
In an attempt to restart a peace plan, Mr. Zelenskyy and other European leaders met in a conference sponsored by Sir Keir Starmer.
According to the prime minister, Ukraine, France, and the United Kingdom will draft a ceasefire proposal to submit to the United States, reports Sky.
While warning that Europe is at a “moment of real fragility,” Sir Keir, who travelled to Washington on Thursday, stated that he believes Mr. Trump does desire a “lasting peace” and that he would not believe Vladimir Putin.
The King will meet with Mr. Zelenskyy later, reports Sky.
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