US President Donald Trump has reportedly expressed frustration with King Charles III following the British monarch’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 2. According to RT, citing Daily Mail and diplomatic sources in Washington, the meeting at Sandringham, in the wake of a public dispute between Trump and Zelensky, sparked tension in US-UK relations.
The report suggests that the interaction between the king and Zelensky, which took place just days after a heated exchange between Trump and the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office, did not sit well with the US president. A well-placed source told the Daily Mail that relations “cooled” after the Sandringham meeting, with Trump’s circle reportedly conveying to UK officials that the photos of the king and Zelensky left Trump feeling "less special" about his upcoming second state visit to the UK.
The UK government pushed back against claims of a diplomatic rift, with a spokesman clarifying, “We do not recognize these reports.” The spokesperson emphasized the UK’s steadfast alliance with the US, affirming that the meeting between the king and Zelensky was a matter of royal discretion.
In a related development, Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented a letter from the king to President Trump during a meeting at the White House last month. “This is really special. This has never happened before. Unprecedented,” Starmer remarked, while Trump accepted the invitation for a future visit to Britain.
The tension surrounding Zelensky’s reception by the British royal family comes amid Trump’s ongoing criticism of the Ukrainian president. Trump has accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for US military aid and has voiced skepticism about his willingness to seek peace with Russia. Last week, Trump halted weapons deliveries to Ukraine, demanding greater commitment to peace talks.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
