Ukrainians Blindsided by Deal’s Breakdown and by Trump’s Actions

Some said they felt the U.S. president was disrespectful and that they were proud of their leader for standing up to him.

Liudmyla Shestakova has lost a lot to this war — her son, and his wife, who died together on the front lines. But she’s a realist, like many in this mining region in central Ukraine. And ever since President Trump suggested it, she has thought that her country should sign a proposed deal that would give America some profits from mining in Ukraine.

Ms. Shestakova, 65, who works with an environmental group called Flora in the city of Kropyvnytskyi, had hoped a deal between the U.S. and Ukraine on critical minerals could bring much-needed investment to the region.

But on Friday night, Ms. Shestakova, like many people in Ukraine, was shocked and blindsided at how the deal fell apart and how she felt that President Trump treated Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, almost like a serf who didn’t bow and kiss the ring quite enough.

“With a trustworthy partner, this could have been a beneficial deal for everyone,” said Ms. Shestakova, who once ran Flora and now sits on its supervisory board. “But with a partner like Trump, it could actually be dangerous.”

Across Ukraine, people said they were upset Friday night. They also said they wouldn’t stop fighting, even if America walked away.

“It will be hard, but we will survive,” said Vitaly Deinega, 41, a co-founder of Come Back Alive, an army support charity. “Today, I was not ashamed of my president and my country. I am not sure that the Americans can say the same.”