Ukraine soldiers rage at Donald Trump 'betrayal' as they call him 'Russia's best agent'

A Ukrainian soldier says he and his comrades feel “betrayed” by US President Donald Trump as he looks to bring a quick end to the bloody war.

Monday marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion and last week US and Russian officials held talks, without Ukraine, over ending the conflict which has seen both sides suffer heavy casualties.

But Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline have criticised the US President and vowed to continue fighting.

An intelligence officer told CNN: “We all feel betrayed since Trump started to talk about his ‘peace plans.’ I would not be surprised if he’s Russia’s best agent. We have to hold on…that’s all.”

Ukraine’s top military commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sunday that morale remained high despite a difficult week.

A Ukrainian company commander deployed within Russia’s Kursk region also told CNN: “I am very exhausted, so is everyone here. Nothing changes for us here because of political statements.”

Oleksandr Nastenko, commander of the 475th assault battalion, told the US broadcaster that talk of Ukraine collapsing after six months without American aid was premature, saying: “We will somehow figure it out, there is no smell of capitulation.”

The remarks come after President Trump sparked controversy after branding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator".

Vladimir Putin supposedly thought it would only take three days to capture Ukraine in his so-called ‘special military operation’ which was launched on 24 February 2022.

On the anniversary, Mr Zelensky has paid tribute to his forces, hailing “three years of resistance” and “three years of absolute heroism of Ukrainians”.

Mr Zelensky has refused to accept any peace deal made without Ukraine’s involvement and has even said he is willing to step down in exchange for peace or NATO membership.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian minister says Kyiv and Washington are close to signing a deal over US access to Ukraine’s rare minerals.

The idea was initially proposed last year by Mr Zelensky as part of his plan to strengthen Kyiv’s hand in future negotiations with Moscow.

It’s not clear whether the White House has offered Ukraine any security guarantees in the emerging deal.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has imposed further sanctions to heap pressure on Russia and make Mr Putin “not just to talk, but to make concessions” and repeated calls for Ukraine to be present for any peace talks.

World leaders have gathered in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion.

Russia is estimated to control around 20% of Ukraine’s territory.