So let's break this all down.
'On February 12, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Zelensky in Kyiv to offer a proposal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral rights in exchange for de facto American protection.' - As the article itself states, 'Critics have likened the U.S. insistence on claiming a share of Ukraine’s mineral wealth to a “mafia shakedown' because that's exactly what it is.
'Then, on February 15, Zelensky publicly rejected the proposal at the conference, calling it “not in the interests of a sovereign Ukraine,” - Oh look, the leader of ukraine is looking out for Ukraine - what a surprise!
'The conflict escalated further on February 19 when Zelensky retaliated, accusing Trump of living in a “disinformation space.” - Trump has accused him of being a dictator, of having started the war (one of his most bizarre yet) of having a 4% approval rating and interestingly, nothing about Putin. Trump absolutely lives in the 'disinformation space'.
'“It’s a sh*t sandwich,” admitted one Trump administration official' - it certainly is and the bullying tactics of Trump who is literally reading out of a Russian propaganda manual, and not even involving Ukraine in talks about it's own future (as well as ignoring America's European 'partners') is unprecidented in it's lack of worldwide diplomacy and strong-man delusions.
The Art of the Deal? Isn't page 1 that you don't reveal your hand BEFORE you start negotiations, yet here we have Trump doing exactly that and toddying to Putin who he hasn't criticised even once during all of this. He calls Zelensky a dictator when there's a VERY obvious one involved in all of this. And before all you Trump fan-boys jump in, let's imagine if the shoe was on the other foot. Let's just imagine it was America that was agressively invaded instead of the Ukraine and the 'peace' negotiations mean America has to give up Hawaii, Florida and Texas as well as all it's mineral rights. How would you all feel about that?
No one wants the war in Ukraine to continue but Zelensky is completely justified in his criticism of Trump.