A book set for release claims Scott Bessent, Donald Trump’s treasury secretary, made offensive comments about Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. The book, titled Regime Change, written by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, is based on extensive interviews and is being published by Simon & Schuster.

According to excerpts shared by The Guardian, Bessent referred to Zelensky using derogatory terms, questioning his conduct ahead of a planned meeting at the White House. He allegedly called Zelensky a “little f****r” and compared him to “Mr. Bean on crack.” Newsweek reached out to U.S. Treasury and Ukraine’s foreign ministry for comments.

Remarks From Bessent

Bessent reportedly expressed concern before Zelensky’s meeting with Trump, which took place on February 28. During this meeting, tensions rose. There was a shouting match involving Trump, Zelensky, and Vice President JD Vance, who criticized Zelensky’s gratitude towards American aid and his attire.

The meeting ended abruptly without a planned press conference, and a mineral agreement was canceled. However, in April, the U.S. and Ukraine signed a deal establishing an investment fund for developing Ukraine’s resources. Bessent previously advised Trump not to invite Zelensky until he agreed to U.S. conditions regarding Ukraine’s mineral resources.

Earlier, Bessent visited Kyiv, resulting in a tense discussion on mineral terms where both parties engaged in a heated exchange. Trump had remarked that Bessent experienced rude treatment in Kyiv. Bessent described both encounters with Zelensky as intense, and in a Bloomberg interview, criticized the Ukrainian president’s behavior, calling it a major diplomatic mistake.