US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and a top Republican politician suggested on Sunday that it could soon be time for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to step down.
The comments came two days after President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance verbally assailed Mr Zelenskyy during a televised White House meeting. Asked whether Mr Trump wants Mr Zelenskyy to resign, Mr Waltz told CNN: "We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians and end this war."
He said Washington wants a permanent peace between Moscow and Kyiv that involves territorial concessions in exchange for European-led security guarantees. "If it becomes apparent that President Zelenskyy's personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands," Mr Waltz said.
He added it is "absolutely false" that Mr Trump and Mr Vance had deliberately provoked Friday's altercation through a premeditated ambush. Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, also suggested that a different leader might be necessary in Ukraine if Mr Zelenskyy does not comply with US demands.
"Something has to change. 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," the top congressional Republican told NBC.
Friday's White House meeting has thrown a nascent peace process, led by Mr Trump, into disarray. A deal under which the US would help develop rare earth minerals mining in Ukraine was left unsigned.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told ABC that he has not spoken to Mr Zelenskyy since Friday. "We'll be ready to re-engage when they're ready to make peace," Mr Rubio said.
Meanwhile, European leaders gathered in London on Sunday for a crucial summit in an attempt to determine the future of the continent’s security during what UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “moment of real fragility” for the continent.
