By Joke Kujenya
Tensions have escalated between United States President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky following a fresh wave of criticism.
Donald Trump launched fresh allegation against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a “dictator without elections” and accusing him of manipulating U.S. support in the ongoing war with Russia.
The remarks come amid escalating tensions over American involvement in Ukraine’s defence and secretive U.S-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, stated that Zelensky convinced the U.S. to spend $350 billion on a war “that couldn’t be won” and “never had to start.”
He further alleged that Ukraine has misused U.S. aid, stating, “Zelensky admits that half of the money we sent him is missing.”
His comments follow Zelensky’s assertion that Trump is trapped in a “Russian disinformation bubble” after the former president accused Ukraine of provoking Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Trump retaliated, warning, “Zelensky better move fast, or he is not going to have a country left.”
He also suggested that the U.S. is now “successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia,” adding that neither President Joe Biden nor European leaders have made meaningful progress towards peace.
Media reports indicate that high-level U.S. and Russian officials are engaged in talks in Saudi Arabia without Ukrainian or European representatives.
The exclusion has also sparked criticism, prompting an emergency meeting of European leaders in France.
Ukraine President Reacts
Zelensky dismissed Trump’s allegations, maintaining that Ukraine is standing firm and still counting on Western unity.
In his nightly address, he urged the U.S. to take a pragmatic approach, saying, “We are standing strong on our own two feet… I am counting on Ukrainian unity, our courage… and the unity of Europe and America.”
Trump repeated his criticism of Zelensky during an investment forum in Miami, where he claimed that millions had “unnecessarily died” due to the war.
He reiterated that Ukraine’s general elections, initially scheduled for April 2024, were postponed due to Russia’s invasion, using the delay to cast doubts on Zelensky’s legitimacy. However, a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 57% of Ukrainians still trust their leader.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Trump’s comments, calling them “false and dangerous.” In an interview with German newspaper Spiegel, Scholz argued that denying Zelensky’s democratic legitimacy is “simply wrong.”
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted that Ukraine is not being excluded from peace talks, despite its absence in Saudi Arabia.
“No one is excluding Ukraine from negotiations,” Putin said, while accusing Kyiv of refusing diplomacy. He referenced Zelensky’s 2022 decree barring direct talks with Moscow, adding, “The Europeans have stopped contacts with Russia. The Ukrainian side has forbidden itself to negotiate.”
On the ground, Ukraine continues to face relentless Russian attacks. Overnight, Russian forces launched drone strikes on the Black Sea port city of Odesa, injuring four people, including a child.
Meanwhile, Zelensky reported that at least 160,000 residents were left without heating in freezing temperatures due to targeted strikes on civilian energy infrastructure.
