Trump still angry at Zelenskyy but respects him more – diplomat Bryza

He shared his opinions in an interview on Espreso TV.

"When it comes to President Zelenskyy, President Trump has suggested that he does not trust him. He has called him the ultimate showman, saying he is skilled at extracting large sums of money from the United States government. I think Trump is still angry that his first impeachment stemmed from a conversation he had with President Zelenskyy. Trump believed he could intimidate Zelenskyy into providing negative information about Hunter Biden and Joe Biden. When Zelenskyy refused, the conversation was leaked, and it appeared as though Trump was attempting to blackmail him. As a result, Trump got into serious trouble.However, I also think that deep down Trump's respect for Zelenskyy increased because Zelenskyy stood up to him. Unlike Viktor Orbán, who visited Mar-a-Lago and acted sycophantically, showering Trump with exaggerated praise, Zelenskyy refused to play along," Bryza explained.

The diplomat noted that Donald Trump does not have much respect for foreign leaders who act overly submissive. He specifically pointed to Viktor Orbán’s behavior.

"Unlike Viktor Orbán, who visited Mar-a-Lago and acted sycophantically, showering Trump with exaggerated praise, Zelenskyy refused to play along. He likes to be complimented but dislikes excessive flattery. Sometimes when he highly praises someone it is actually a sign that he sees them as weak," Bryza added.

• On January 22, U.S. President Donald Trump called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. If Putin refused, Trump threatened Russia with high tariffs, taxes, and sanctions on all exports to the U.S.
• Later, Trump expressed a desire to meet with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin soon to "end this war."
• On January 24, Trump stated that President Zelenskyy should not have allowed the war in Ukraine to happen and that reaching a peace agreement would have been "easy."