US President Donald Trump has called Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and accused him of “doing a terrible job” at leading the east-European nation.
He said this on his Truth Social app on Wednesday, hours after the Ukraine leader accused him of adopting Russia’s false narrative and calling for an end to the war at the expense of Ukraine’s interest.
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“I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues,” Mr Trump said.
He said Mr Zelensky had talked the US government, led by Joe Biden, into investing in a war that couldn’t be won.
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He described the Ukraine-Russia as a war “that never had to start.”
He said, “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. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalisation? This War is far more important to Europe than it is to us.
“We have a big, beautiful ocean as a separation. On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is “MISSING.”
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Trump’s peace talk with Russia
Mr Zelensky, addressing reporters in Kyiv earlier on Wednesday, rebutted President Trump’s claims that Ukraine initiated the conflict with Russia.
He labelled such claims as Russian disinformation and expressed concern over their influence on Mr Trump.
“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,” Mr Zelensky was quoted to have said.
The American president commenced discussions on a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine without involving the latter in the talks. Earlier in the week, he announced a “lengthy and very productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin – a move that alarmed world leaders.
US officials also met Russian officials in Saudi Arabia to discuss improved relations between the countries.
False claims
Mr Zelensky complained about being shut out of the peace talks with Russia, saying his country would not accept any deal done in its absence.
In response, Mr Trump accused Ukraine of initiating the war, saying, “Today I heard, ‘Oh well, we weren’t invited. Well, you have been there for three years. You should’ve ended it after three years. You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal.”
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Mr Trump incorrectly claimed that Mr Zelensky’s approval rating was at 4 per cent. However, a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) earlier this month showed that his approval currently stands at 57 per cent.
Although his approval was once more than 70 per cent, it has dropped significantly since the war. However, it has never been lower than 50 per cent.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump has made it clear he wants the war to end, even if this means more territorial losses for Ukraine.
The relationship between Messrs Zelensky and Trump first turned sour in 2019 after Mr Trump’s request to have the Ukraine leader investigate his political rival, Joe Biden, led to his impeachment by the US House of Representatives.
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