President Donald Trump rapidly intensified his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, labeling him a “dictator without elections” and suggesting that Zelensky’s actions were responsible for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a recent statement, Trump asserted that Zelensky “should never have let that war start,” implying that diplomatic failures on Ukraine’s part led to the conflict.
Trump’s remarks have sparked significant backlash from Ukrainian officials and international leaders. Kyiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov and parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized the importance of unity against Russian aggression and criticized Trump’s statements as undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The flurry of attacks follow Zelensky accusing Trump of being influenced by Russian disinformation, following Trump’s remarks suggesting that Ukraine initiated the conflict with Russia. Zelensky stated that Trump is “living in a disinformation space,” implying that the U.S. president’s views are shaped by misleading narratives propagated by Russia and voices sympathetic to the Kremlin.
Zelensky emphasized the importance of accurate information and cautioned against narratives that align with Russian propaganda, underscoring the challenges faced by Ukraine in countering misinformation during the war.
The developments come as the U.S. and Russia engage in peace talks, with Ukraine expressing concerns about being excluded from negotiations.
European leaders have also expressed concern over Trump’s comments and his approach to peace negotiations. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and France’s President Emmanuel Macron stressed the necessity of including European nations in any discussions to resolve the conflict, warning against unilateral decisions that could destabilize the region further.
In response to Trump’s allegations, Zelensky defended his leadership, highlighting the challenges of holding elections during an ongoing war and martial law. He reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to resisting Russian aggression and maintaining national sovereignty.
The Daily Wire has additional details:
Trump made the remarks after slamming Ukraine during a Tuesday press conference at Mar-a-Lago in response to Zelensky expressing frustrations over being excluded from talks that were held between the United States and Russia in Saudi Arabia.
“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Trump posted on social media.
“The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back,” he continued. “Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation.”
Trump also claimed that Zelensky has a low approval rating.
The war in Ukraine is primarily the result of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, which followed years of escalating tensions after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and supported separatist movements in eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin and the Russian government bear primary responsibility for launching the invasion, which they justified using claims of NATO expansion, security concerns and baseless allegations about Ukraine.
However, the broader context includes multiple geopolitical factors:
-Russia’s Aggression – Putin’s decision to invade was a direct act of war, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and international law.
-Western Policies – Some argue that NATO and U.S. support for Ukraine, including military aid and aspirations of NATO membership, may have escalated tensions.
-Ukraine’s Resistance – Ukraine’s refusal to accept Russian demands and its increasing alignment with the West fueled Russia’s justification for military action.
-Global Power Struggle – The war is seen as part of a larger geopolitical battle between Western democracies and authoritarian regimes like Russia and China.
Ultimately, while Russia is directly responsible for the invasion and ongoing war crimes, some analysts debate whether Western actions contributed to the conditions leading to the war. However, that does not justify Putin’s decision to launch an unprovoked war, which has caused immense destruction and loss of life.
While Trump claimed millions have perished in Ukraine, it is highly unlikely that millions have died in the Russo-Ukrainian War. Although the war has caused hundreds of thousands of military and civilian casualties, estimates do not approach the millions.
-Military casualties (killed and wounded) on both sides are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, but not millions.
-Civilian deaths are estimated in the tens of thousands, though the real number could be higher in occupied territories.
The war has still been one of the deadliest conflicts in modern European history.
As of December 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s approval rating stands at 52%, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). This reflects a decline from the 90% approval he received in March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The decrease in approval ratings over time is evident in various polls:
-March 2022: 90% approval
-December 2023: 77% approval
-October 2024: 59% approval
-December 2024: 52% approval
It’s important to note that recent claims suggesting Zelensky’s approval rating is as low as 4% are false. These assertions have been propagated without credible evidence and contradict established polling data.
While there has been a significant decline in his approval ratings since the initial surge of support in 2022, a majority of Ukrainians continue to support Zelensky as of the latest available data.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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Trump seems determined to discount Zelensky’s position because it leaves him less wiggle room to “make a deal”. The problem is that he does not do the same thing to Putin, who is the aggressor in this war, and not Zelensky. What could Trump possibly be thinking??? Except that he wants a deal so the US does not have to do anything more w.r.t. Ukraine. Unfortunately, this war, and Putin’s militaristic ambitions, are not going to go away, no matter what Trump may think. And further, why isn’t Trump using the same yardstick to measure Putin’s dictatorship?
Zelensky was elected into office in 2019. Putin had his main rival for the Russian presidency murdered (Navalny). How is Trump comfortable with that?
I HAVE TO SAY, TRUMP YOU’RE WRONG ABOUT THIS!! Thirty years ago, on 5 December 1994, at a ceremony in Budapest, Ukraine joined Belarus and Kazakhstan in giving up their nuclear arsenals in return for security guarantees from the United States, the UK, France, China and Russia.
SO MUCH FOR GUARANTEES FROM RUSSIA!!!!
RUSSIA TOOK THE CRIMEA FROM UKRAINE FOR DUBISOUS REASONS!! AND STRIKE NUMBER THREE, RUSSIA INVADED UKRAINE TO TAKE THE COUNTRY BACK INTO THE RUSSIAN FOLD!!!
So what are Putin’s approval ratings and are they legit? We know dictators don’t get legit ratings, so what’s your point? Does Trump rely too much on ratings?
Ukraine did not start the war! Trump is usually right, but here he is critically wrong and playing right into the libs hands.
You’re right, it was the West that got the war started, but Ukraine was fine with it.
If Russia wants peace all it ever had to do and can still do today or at any time is withdraw its troops back into Russia. Trump seems not to understand that.
Oh, you mean President Trump told the truth….Zelensky has enriched himself by allowing the killing of his people. I’m positive the Ukrainian people have had their fill of him.
This guy has been ripping off the American Taxpayers with help of obama biden and the kick backs they received he is worried he won’t get to do the same with Trump, this guy needs to pay back Taxpayers, end this war, and his corrupt policies, he is destroying his country to have mansions, yachts, shopping sprees, in England and other places on American Taxpayers with, we need to STOP giving anything and any money to this country till a new leader is voted in and the war stopped
I usually agree with Pres. Trump on all that he is doing. I do not understand or agree with his view on this!
I find that “Zelensky’s approval rating stands at 52%,” rather high for many thousands of soldiers being slaughtered daily. It is quite apparent that both sides are taking very heavy losses, and it makes no sense to continue this depopulation of young men. By the way, Ukranine women are listing themselves on international dating websites. I do not know if any of those Ukranine women will be allowed to migrate into the United States given the moratorium on legal migration from many countries. Recently, the American Embassy in Ghana was closed.
Russia did not provoke the Ukraine war. Who allowed and put missiles on the Ukraine border pointed at Russia?
Who put the bioweapon labs on the border of Russia? Who was killing the Russian-speaking people who lived in Ukraine?
Who stopped the agreement between Ukraine and Russia that would have ended with a peaceful treaty?
Looks like a good time for Donny to zip his mouth or many Americans could consider him a “fan” of the Russian Dictator Vlad Putin!