Zelensky would be ‘six feet under’ without US backing rages White House insiders as Ukraine readies to sign Trump’s deal

WHITE House officials have raged at Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he would have been “six feet under” if it wasn’t for US backup.

The scathing remarks come amid a deepening rift between Washington and Kyiv, with President Trump openly questioning Zelensky’s role in ending the war with Russia.

EPA

Zelensky would have been ‘six feet under’ if it wasn’t for America’s support, White House officials have raged[/caption]

Reuters

Trump and Zelenskiy meet at Trump Tower in New York City last September[/caption]

AFP

A Ukrainian military member looks at a heavily damaged building near the site of a missile attack in Izyum, Kharkiv region, on February 4, 2025[/caption]

Now, the Ukrainian President was accused of overplaying his hand in negotiations with Trump and alienating key allies.

A senior White House Official said: “Zelensky is an actor who committed a common mistake of theater kids: He started to think he’s the character he plays on TV.

“Yes, he has been brave and stood up to Russia.

“But he would be six feet under if it wasn’t for the millions we spent, and he needs to exit stage right with all the drama.”

‘WE CREATED A MONSTER’

The White House view is that Zelensky grew too accustomed to unwavering support under former President Joe Biden, including billions in military aid and NATO backing.

Now, Trump’s inner circle believes the Ukrainian leader has overstepped, Axios reports.

“We created a monster with Zelensky,” another administration official said.

“And these Trump-deranged Europeans who won’t send troops are giving him terrible advice.”

Zelensky has already clashed with multiple senior figures in Trump’s government.

“In the course of a week, Zelensky rebuffed President Trump’s treasury secretary, his secretary of state and his vice president, all before moving on to personally insulting President Trump in the press,” one official said.

“What did Zelensky think was going to happen?”

Despite the hostility, Trump’s team is still negotiating a mineral-rights deal as part of a proposed peace agreement.