Russia relishes Trump-Zelenskyy spat and accuses Ukraine of warmongering

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the head of Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Picture: Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

A spat between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has come as a windfall for the Kremlin, raising Moscow’s hopes for a halt in US assistance to Kyiv even as Russian troops seek to extend their gains in Ukraine.

The Oval Office meeting on Friday that exploded in acrimony when Mr Trump and US vice president JD Vance accused Mr Zelenskyy of refusing to negotiate peace and berated him for being ungrateful for US support so far has cast doubts over the future of US-Ukrainian relations.