Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has commented on the Ukrainian leader’s health prior to his White House dispute with Trump and Vance
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky appears visibly unwell, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He made the remarks this week, days before Zelensky’s heated confrontation with US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
“He doesn’t look very good visually, but you should ask him,” Peskov said in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV journalist Pavel Zarubin published on Saturday, answering whether he thought Zelensky felt cornered.
Zelensky’s visit to the White House on Friday, intended to finalize a minerals agreement, devolved into a heated dispute. The discussion deteriorated when he insisted that Trump support Kiev rather than play a neutral arbiter in an attempt to mediate a deal with Moscow. In response, Trump and Vance accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War III” and a reluctance to make peace with Russia, labeling him disrespectful and ungrateful for the substantial military aid provided by Washington.
The visit concluded abruptly without signing the agreement, after Zelensky demanded security guarantees and greater involvement in the conflict from the Trump administration.
During the meeting, Zelensky’s preference for informal attire also attracted media attention. When a journalist inquired if the Ukrainian president owned a formal suit, Zelensky said yes, adding that he would “wear something more appropriate” at the next meeting.
Following the incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Zelensky’s US trip as “a diplomatic and political failure” for Kiev. She asserted that with his “outrageously boorish behavior” at the White House, Zelensky confirmed himself “an irresponsible instigator of a major war” and “a most dangerous threat to the international community.”
Zakharova reiterated Moscow’s stance that lasting peace can only be achieved “when the root causes of the conflict are fully eliminated.”
The cancellation of the minerals deal and Zelensky’s premature departure from the White House have raised concerns about future US support for Ukraine. According to The Washington Post, the Trump administration may reconsider its military assistance to Kiev.
However, European leaders have expressed support. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reaffirmed their solidarity with Ukraine, emphasizing the need for peace based on Ukrainian sovereignty. Conversely, Russian officials, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, mocked Zelensky, suggesting that Washington halt military aid.
