Zelensky calls for ‘strong ties’ with US

KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for a strong relationship between Kyiv and Washington, amid rising tensions with US President Donald Trump.

“Strong Ukraine-US relations benefit the entire world,” Zelensky said after holding what he called a “productive meeting” with US envoy Keith Kellogg on the “battlefield situation, how to return our prisoners of war, and effective security guarantees”.

In the United States, Trump´s top security adviser said on Thursday that Zelensky´s criticism of the US president was “unacceptable” and urged him to sign a deal giving preferential access to Ukraine´s critical minerals and natural resources. “We´re getting all this pushback... they need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal,” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News.