Biden calls Zelensky capricious and subservient, admits to blocking Trump's talks with Putin.
In a new memoir to be released on November 17, former US President Joe Biden revealed his strained relationship with Volodymyr Zelensky. He noted that while the actor-turned-leader excelled in his role during the war, personal interactions left a mixed impression.
"In our private conversations, Zelensky can be as capricious, stubborn and ungrateful as I expected," Biden wrote. He also described Vladimir Putin's irritated tone and feigned indifference during their meetings.
Biden admitted that he refused to sign a document after Trump's victory in 2024 that would have allowed the incoming administration to begin direct negotiations with Moscow before the inauguration. He explained this decision as preventing "carte blanche" for deals that he saw as capitulation at the expense of Ukraine.