The ongoing war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intensified after Trump falsely labeled Zelensky a “dictator” on Truth Social. The accusation followed Trump’s earlier, unsubstantiated claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia. Zelensky, speaking to reporters in Kyiv, countered the misinformation, emphasizing Ukraine’s need to be part of any peace negotiations.
“Unfortunately, President Trump – I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we have great respect for, the American people who always support us – unfortunately lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky stated, directly addressing Trump’s claims.
Trump Sides With Russia, Alarming Allies
Trump has consistently expressed his desire to end the war swiftly, even at the cost of further territorial losses for Ukraine. His remarks, at times echoing Kremlin narratives, have blamed Ukraine and NATO for the conflict, even suggesting that Ukraine “may be Russian some day.”
Raising further concerns, Trump recently chose to hold a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin before contacting Zelensky. This decision coincided with high-level US-Russian talks in Riyadh aimed at ending the war—talks from which Ukraine was excluded.
Putin welcomed the shift in US diplomacy, calling the Riyadh discussions “friendly.” He praised the American delegation for being “open to the negotiation process without any bias, without any condemnation of what had been done in the past.” Both nations agreed to establish high-level teams to negotiate an end to the war and reopen diplomatic channels.
Ukraine Criticizes Exclusion from Peace Talks
Zelensky expressed frustration over being sidelined from the Riyadh talks. “While any country has the right to discuss bilateral issues, the fact that the US held direct talks with Russia helped Putin out of his long isolation,” Zelensky said.
Ukraine, which has received tens of billions in military aid from the US under the Biden administration, now faces uncertainty regarding future American support. Trump has signaled a shift, suggesting that Ukraine should offer something in return for aid, including access to its mineral resources.
Zelensky revealed that the US requested 50% of Ukraine’s rare minerals without offering security guarantees. He firmly rejected the proposal, saying, “I cannot, I cannot sell our state.”
Global Leaders Stand With Zelensky
In response to Trump’s accusations, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed his support for Zelensky, calling him “Ukraine’s democratically elected leader.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed this sentiment, stating it was “simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky democratic legitimacy.”
Zelensky later expressed gratitude on X, thanking the UK for its continued support and vowing that Ukraine would “never forget the respect the British people have shown for Ukraine and our citizens.”
