President Donald Trump sought to "trust but verify" both sides of the peace talks with Ukraine and Russia between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, but it was the former and not the latter who reneged on a mineral deal under the demands for security guarantees, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
"I think Vladimir Putin is a an old school communist, a former KGB agent, and he's not to be trusted, and he is dangerous," Johnson told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
"The way I view this is that China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are engaged in a new axis, axis powers, and they are not on America's side. Let's be crystal clear about that. You have to walk circumspectly in these perilous times on the world stage.
"But America is back. America is strong again. And that is good for us and for freedom-loving people around the world."
But Johnson expressed disappointment Zelenskyy balked at Trump's minerals deal as a pathway to peace in Ukraine after Putin's invasion and ongoing war.
"President Trump said very clearly, trust but verify," Johnson told Dana Bash. "I mean, he is trying to be the change agent to broker a peace and an end to this conflict.
"And you have to have both parties at the table to do that. You have to negotiate with both parties. And there has to be a willingness on both sides to bring it to an end."
Notably, Zelenskyy's Ukraine had a deal in place with the U.S. for minerals and it was Zelenskyy not committing, according to Johnson.
"The person who walked away from the table [Friday] was President Zelenskyy," Johnson said. "Look, I have been involved in a lot of bilateral meetings like this with heads of state and dignitaries. There's a certain protocol to these events.
"But for him to act as he did was rather shocking to everyone. I mean, President Zelenskyy, instead of showing gratitude, he interrupted and berated his hosts at a very perilous time for his country. He should have been anxious, I think, to enter into this agreement.
"Think of it. The mineral rights agreement would be a win-win for both countries. It would give us an economic interest there, and everyone around the world knows that America will always defend our interest and our people.
"It would have, we would have, created an economic partnership with Ukraine at a time when it needs to be reemerging."
Trump ostensibly is vetting out tepid interest in a full-on will for peace.
"Look, President Trump has shown he will not tolerate someone not fulfilling their end of a deal," Johnson concluded. "And I think that this deal, the time has come. I think it's in the interest of America, of Ukraine, Russia, all of our European allies and everyone.
"So I'm very hopeful, as the president has said, that President Zelenskyy will come back to the table and recognize that peace is the solution here."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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