Zelenskyy's adviser claims US has relinquished its lead role in push for peace

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (Sven Hoppe/DPA via AP)

A Ukrainian presidential adviser has claimed that the United States has weakened its position and relinquished the diplomatic lead to Russia ahead of any possible peace talks on Ukraine, following a meeting in Saudi Arabia between top American and Russian diplomats.

The remarks by Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, came after US President Donald Trump falsely suggested that Kyiv was to blame for the war, which is entering its fourth year next week.