President Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” Wednesday in a Truth Social post, extending a verbal sparring match between the two world leaders the day after U.S. and Russian officials met without Ukrainian representation to discuss terms to end Russia’s 3-year-old invasion.
“He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing (former president Joe) Biden ‘like a fiddle.’ A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Zelenskyy canceled an election scheduled for spring 2024, saying it could not be held in the middle of a war and the imposition of martial law in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution.
Trump also claimed Tuesday that Zelenskyy would not win if an election were held and said his approval ratings sat at 4% in Ukraine. An opinion poll released Wednesday by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelenskyy.
“We have seen this disinformation. We understand that it is coming from Russia,” Zelenskyy told reporters Wednesday, adding that Trump “lives in this disinformation space.”
A departure from US stance
Trump’s comments, including an accusation overnight that Ukraine started its war with Russia, and willingness to negotiate with Russia without the presence of Ukrainian representatives are a departure from the United States’ stance on the actions of the Russian government and have shocked Ukraine and its European allies.
The United States and a worldwide coalition of more than 50 nations have spent billions of dollars to bring weapons and supplies to Ukraine as it has fought defend itself after Russian forces invaded in February 2022. Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine in 2023 to reiterate U.S. support, and Congress has repeatedly approved financial and military aid.
On Wednesday, Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, pushed back against Trump’s new assertion.
“Mr. President, Ukraine did not “start” this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The Road to Peace must be built on the Truth,” Pence posted on X.
This week, U.S. officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia to discuss an end to the war. Ukraine and other European countries were not included in the talks. French President Emmanuel Macron held a separate meeting with European leaders Monday.
In his social media post, Trump took credit for trying to end the conflict and said “Zelenskyy probably wants to keep the ‘gravy train’ going.”
Trump’s said Tuesday that Ukraine was responsible for Russia’s invasion of the country three years ago, a comment echoing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric. Trump also argued that Kyiv could have made a deal to avoid the conflict or stop it in the time since.
“Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years,” Trump told reporters Tuesday at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.
“You should have never started it,” he added, referring to Ukraine. “You could have made a deal.”
