U.S. Treasury Secretary Advised Trump Not to Host Zelenskyy at the White House — The Guardian
The book *Regime Change* claims that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent allegedly advised Donald Trump not to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House and made harsh remarks about him, however, these claims have not been independently confirmed.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent allegedly tried to convince Donald Trump not to hold a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Bassent referred to the Ukrainian leader as a “little freak,” a “child with special needs,” and “Mr. Bean on drugs,” according to the book *Regime Change*, written by *The New York Times* journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.
According to the authors, ahead of Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington, some in Trump’s inner circle feared that the talks could end in conflict. In particular, then-National Security Advisor Mike Woltz tried to convey to the Ukrainian president the request that he wear a business suit to the meeting.
The book claims that Bessent opposed holding the talks until an agreement on Ukrainian mineral resources was signed. The authors also cite his allegedly harsh remarks about Zelenskyy during conversations with colleagues.
Despite these reservations, the meeting at the White House took place on February 28, 2025. It ended in a heated argument, during which Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance accused Zelenskyy of showing insufficient gratitude for American support and criticized his behavior.
As the authors note, tensions began to rise after the Ukrainian president insisted on receiving security guarantees. This caused irritation among some members of the American delegation.
Following the unsuccessful talks, Bessent told Bloomberg that Zelenskyy had committed a serious diplomatic blunder. He also expressed surprise at the Ukrainian leader’s behavior during the meeting in the Oval Office.
The book also describes Bessent’s previous visit to Kyiv, where he tried to persuade the Ukrainian side to sign a mineral resources agreement. According to the authors, the negotiations were tense and accompanied by an emotional exchange between the parties.
It is specifically noted that the drafting of the document was delayed due to disagreements between Bessent and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick regarding the wording of the agreement. Ultimately, according to the journalists, Donald Trump asked J.D. Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, to review the Ukrainian amendments to the document, after which the text was substantially revised.
The authors also claim that in private conversations, Bessent compared Trump to his former employer—the well-known investor George Soros. According to them, the finance minister allegedly believed that the two influential figures had a lot in common, The Guardian reports.
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