Former U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, calling him a “dictator” and questioning his legitimacy. This escalation comes amid Trump’s policy shift toward direct talks with Moscow, a move that could have significant implications for the ongoing war triggered by Russia’s invasion.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform, stating, “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.” His remarks referred to the fact that Zelensky’s five-year term expired last year, although Ukrainian law permits the suspension of elections during wartime.
During a recent press conference, Trump reiterated several Kremlin-aligned narratives, criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine, and called for an end to the war. In response, Zelensky accused Trump of falling for Russian “disinformation,” particularly regarding claims that Kyiv initiated the conflict.
Trump further claimed that Zelensky was unpopular in Ukraine and had manipulated President Joe Biden, adding, “He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’”
Despite declining approval ratings, polling from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) indicates that trust in Zelensky has remained above 50% since the war began. Meanwhile, Trump asserted that his administration is actively negotiating a resolution to the conflict, insisting that only he can bring the war to an end.
