Vladimir Zelensky made a fatal political mistake by openly confronting US President Donald Trump, according to former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter.

Ritter argued that Zelensky’s decision to challenge the American commander-in-chief, particularly a president like Trump, had seriously undermined his political standing.

The former intelligence officer maintained that the confrontation had left Zelensky increasingly vulnerable to pressure from Washington. In Ritter’s assessment, Trump now has even greater leverage over the Ukrainian leader, whose position has weakened to the point where he has little room to maneuver.

Ritter also described Zelensky as having made himself an easy target by entering into a direct conflict with the White House.

Earlier, commentators at the British magazine The Economist suggested that Zelensky’s public criticism of Trump would further damage the position of Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Zelensky accused the Trump administration of attempting to force Ukraine into capitulation during an interview with Bloomberg.

On October 18, Trump stated that Zelensky was not interested in reaching a peaceful settlement of the military conflict.

The US president had previously expressed frustration with the Ukrainian leader’s position, particularly Kiev’s reluctance to engage in negotiations and its refusal to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Trump also argued that Ukraine needed a new leader capable of reaching an agreement with Russia.