In Washington, former U.S. President Donald Trump outlined his view on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating that he does not believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's presence at peace negotiations is vital.

In an interview with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio, Trump acknowledged that Russia initiated the conflict but suggested that President Joe Biden and Zelensky share responsibility for the lack of successful negotiations with Moscow.

"I’ve watched him negotiate for years without leverage.

He has no leverage, and I’m tired of it.

So, I don’t think it’s important for him to be at the meetings, to be honest with you.

He’s making it harder to make a deal," Trump said.

Trump expressed his frustration with Zelensky’s negotiation skills, referencing the Ukrainian leader's remarks about not being able to attend negotiations in Riyadh.

He described Zelensky as a "poor negotiator" and indicated that three years of meetings have yielded no progress.

Furthermore, Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to reaching an agreement to end the war, adding that had a Republican been in office, Russia would not have attacked Ukraine.

He asserted that he would have been able to negotiate a deal with Putin effectively, criticizing Biden for his approach.

"Joe Biden is a very stupid man who has been more stupid than ever before.

He has no idea what he’s doing, and everything he said was wrong.

I said, you know what… I think he’s going to provoke a war.

And that’s exactly what happened," Trump remarked.

In his statements, Trump also indicated that Putin would not need to negotiate a ceasefire if he intended to conquer the entire country.

"Every time I say 'It’s not Russia's fault,' I get hit by fake news.

But I tell you, Biden said the wrong things.

Zelensky said the wrong things.

He was attacked by someone who is much bigger and much stronger," Trump stated.

The former president also criticized UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron for their lack of action to end the conflict.

When asked about upcoming meetings with Starmer and Macron, Trump interjected, stating, "They’ve done nothing...

no meetings with Russia...

Macron is my friend, Starmer is a very nice guy, but neither has done anything regarding Russia," as reported.

After the interview, Trump met with a bipartisan group of governors at the White House, saying he had "good conversations with Putin" while his discussions with Ukraine were less favorable.

Recently, Trump has made several criticisms of Zelensky, labeling him a "dictator without an election" and claiming the Ukrainian president instigated the war with Russia.

Earlier this week, representatives of Trump’s administration met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to initiate talks aimed at ending the conflict.

Zelensky has voiced dissatisfaction with Ukraine's exclusion from these discussions.

The United States has insisted that Ukraine agree to a deal allowing American interests in supplying rare earth minerals to Ukraine, arguing that an economic agreement would incentivize Washington to provide security guarantees to Kyiv.

Zelensky mentioned that the proposal was presented to him last week with little prior notice or time for assessment.

White House National Security Advisor Mike Walsh stated that Zelensky is expected to sign an agreement on minerals with the United States shortly as part of broader negotiations to conclude the war with Russia.

"Here’s the essence: President Zelensky will sign that agreement, and you will see it very soon," Walsh said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

This statement occurs against the backdrop of increasingly public disputes between Zelensky and Trump, with Walsh implying that the Ukrainian leader should "tone it down" and endorse the proposed agreement.