White House tells Zelensky to 'tone down' US criticism

Donald Trump has sparked fresh outrage by trying to silence Volodymyr Zelensky, who was defending himself over the US president's "dictator" slur, and pressure him into a deal with Vladimir Putin. The White House told Ukraine's leader to "tone down" his comments - which included his remark that Mr Trump lives in a Russian “disinformation space” – and accused Mr Zelensky of “badmouthing” the US president.

- ALEXANDER BUTLER

Mr Zelensky was ordered to sign a peace deal with Russia and, adding insult to injury, to hand hundreds of billions of pounds worth of mineral reserves to the US. The treatment of Mr Zelensky has been condemned as “thin-skinned”.

Kurt Volker, the US special representative for Ukraine negotiations during President Trump’s first term, said: “I think [Trump] did this out of pique because he saw Zelensky pushing back on things that Trump wanted.” Mr Trump had “got it all wrong” about Mr Zelensky and Putin, said Mr Volker. “Russia actually IS a dictatorship and attacked Ukraine, a democracy, unprovoked. So [Trump] has got all this backwards.”

Urging Ukraine to rein in its response, White House national security adviser Michael Waltz said in an interview on Fox News: “It’s unacceptable: [Ukraine] need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal.” The deal he was referring to is Mr Trump’s bid to obtain access to rare minerals in Ukraine in return for aid, or as compensation for support the US has already provided.