The Ukrainian government appeared to distance itself from Zaluzhny’s remarks Thursday afternoon. When approached by POLITICO, its foreign ministry responded that the opinion voiced by the Ukrainian ambassador had been his personal position.
Zaluzhny said at the Chatham House think tank: “We see that it is not just the axis of evil and Russia trying to revise the world order, but the U.S. is finally destroying this order.”
He warned that Trump’s negotiations with Russia for an end to the war were a sign the White House was making “steps towards the Kremlin, trying to meet them halfway.”
Since entering office, Trump has pledged to end Russia’s war with Ukraine — but has moved ahead with peace talks without directly involving Ukraine, pulled U.S. aid for the country, and refused to commit to security guarantees in a post-war settlement.
Zaluzhny previously served as the military’s commander-in-chief and was widely praised for repelling Russia’s full-scale invasion of February 2022. However, he was dismissed early last year after Kyiv’s counter-offensive stalled, and became the ambassador to the U.K. in July.
The ambassador suggested Moscow’s next target “could be Europe,” and said a recent pause in intelligence-sharing was “a huge challenge for the entire world.”
His remarks came after POLITICO reported Thursday that four senior members of Trump’s entourage had held secret discussions with some of Zelenskyy’s top domestic political opponents.
