The last few days have been marked by the escalation of public rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. The mutual attacks and criticisms coming from both leaders cause quite a resonance in the world, and also raise many questions about the future of American-Ukrainian relations.
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Summit in Miami on February 19, Trump blamed Zelenskyi is that in three years he “has not organized a single meeting” to start peace talks with Russia. In addition, Trump noted that Zelensky was “angry” that he was “not invited” to Saudi Arabia. According to him, Russia’s war against Ukraine could end if he were the president of the United States, and even Putin admitted this.
“I don’t know what Zelensky wants: for the money to continue to flow in? He was angry that he was not invited to Saudi Arabia… But he did not organize a single meeting or a single phone conversation in three years.” – Trump said.
He also emphasized that Zelensky “refuses to organize elections” because he has a “low rating.”
“Ukraine is under martial law all the time, and the approval rating of the leader of this country has already fallen to 4%. It is not Russia that is telling Ukraine that elections are necessary, this is an objective situation.” he said.
In addition, the day before Trump also called Zelensky “a dictator without elections“. The American president even announced the statistics on losses in the war, saying that Ukraine lost 700,000 soldiers, and Russia – 900,000. In his post in Truth Social he wrote:
“Just think, the humble successful comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy persuaded the United States of America to spend 350 billion dollars on a war that cannot be won, that should never have been started, but which he, without the USA and “Trump”, will never be able to settle.”
At the same time, Trump said that “Zelensky admits that half of the money we sent him is ‘missing'”, which is an absolutely baseless statement. He also said that the president of Ukraine “plays with Biden like a violin.”
Trump claims that the US has spent $200 billion more than Europe on aid to Ukraine, and these funds have no return. According to him, Russia’s war against Ukraine is more important for Europe than for the United States, since America is separated from the conflict by a “big and beautiful ocean.”
“The dictator without elections, Zelensky, had better act quickly, because otherwise he will not have a country left. Meanwhile, we are successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia, which, admittedly, only Trump and his administration can do.” – said the US president.
In turn, Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized Trump’s statements and accused Washington of trying to find an understanding with the Kremlin on terms that could harm Ukraine.
“The US is saying things today that are very pleasing to Putin. I think that’s the crux of the matter. Because they want to please him. You know why? To meet each other and achieve quick success.” – said Zelensky in an interview German TV channel ARD.
According to him, the White House can consider options for ending the war, which will be beneficial for Russia, but will not guarantee Ukraine’s security. Zelensky stressed that a ceasefire on Moscow’s terms would only give Putin the opportunity to regroup the troops and prepare for a new offensive.
In addition, Zelenskyi stated, that the Trump administration’s policies contribute to Russia’s exit from international isolation, which only adds to the Kremlin’s confidence in its actions.
The president of Ukraine also expressed surprise that three years after the start of a full-scale war, the United States continues to call the Russian invasion a “conflict” and demonstrates a certain loyalty to Moscow.
Zelensky noted that Trump was misinformed about his low rating and he was surprised why the US president was raising the issue of elections in Ukraine. He also emphasized that at the same time, at the meeting in Saudi Arabia, neither the shelling of Ukraine nor the exchange of prisoners of war were discussed.
It will be recalled that the Vice President of the USA, JD Vance, is also public criticized President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi for his reaction to Donald Trump’s statements regarding support ratings.
“The idea that Zelensky is going to change the president’s mind by smearing him in the state media, anyone who knows the president will tell you that’s a terrible way to deal with this administration.” – said the vice president of the USA.
According to him, the president of Ukraine received “bad advice” on how to build relations with the new administration in the USA.
“We certainly love the Ukrainian people. We admire the bravery of the soldiers, but obviously we think this war needs to end quickly. That’s the policy of the president of the United States. It’s not based on Russian disinformation. It’s based on the fact that Donald Trump, I think, knows a lot about geopolitics and has had a very strong position for a very long time.” Vance added.
The world is closely following the development of the public dispute between the two leaders, which may affect not only the domestic policy of the United States, but also the further development of the war in Ukraine.
