Trump's hostility toward Ukraine creates a conservative rift

President Donald Trump’s recent show of hostility toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opened a rift in Republican circles.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — President Donald Trump’s recent show of hostility toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has opened a rift in Republican circles, with traditional conservatives defending the war-time leader who is struggling to repel Russia’s invasion.

A few days after taking office, Trump noted approvingly that Ukraine was ready to “make a deal” to end a war that began three years ago when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tanks rolling across the border.

Lately, though, Trump has publicly soured on Ukraine. Throughout the week he has treated Zelenskyy as he might a garden-variety political foe, parsing his poll numbers while depicting Ukraine as an obstacle to a peace deal.

The darkening message may reflect Trump’s frustration that Ukraine has resisted his call to let the U.S. tap rare earth minerals the country possesses as compensation for the billions of dollars in aid the U.S. has provided over the years.

Michael Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, hinted at the president's annoyance during an appearance Friday at a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering here outside Washington, D.C.