In a spirited display of dark humor, Ukrainians took to social media on Thursday to troll US President Donald Trump after he insulted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and controversially blamed Ukraine for Russia’s invasion. The viral memes, which quickly spread online, serve as a creative outlet for a people grappling with the harsh realities of war, and they reflect a longstanding tradition of using humor to cope with adversity.
One popular meme juxtaposed a chaotic image of people punching each other, captioned “Ukrainians discussing internal politics,” with a contrasting image of a neat roundtable discussion labeled “Ukrainians when Trump insults Zelensky.” This particular post, shared by the widely followed Saint Javelin account on Instagram, amassed over 15,500 likes and 2,400 shares within less than 24 hours. In another post circulating on Telegram, Ukraine was depicted as a massive bear cradling a cub adorned with Zelensky’s face while giving Trump the middle finger—a clear, defiant gesture of protest.
Ukrainians continue to draw on their dark sense of humor as a way to address the ongoing challenges of the war, even as Zelensky’s popularity, though slightly diminished, remains robust with trust levels never dropping below 50 percent since the conflict began, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Despite the martial law imposed and the immense pressures of a country fighting for survival, these memes highlight a resilient spirit among the people.
Adding fuel to the fire, Ukrainian military volunteer and activist Maria Berlinska, in a post that garnered 4,300 likes, directly addressed Trump: “What the f*** are you doing? This is our president, and it is our exclusive right to criticise him.” Meanwhile, Zelensky has countered Trump’s verbal attacks by accusing him of falling prey to Russian disinformation, with Trump having previously claimed that Ukraine was responsible for starting the war—a claim that has been widely mocked online.
Humorous posts also emerged parodying news headlines, such as one stating “Trump says Pope attacked himself with pneumonia,” while another depicted Trump speaking to a crucified Jesus with the caption, “This would not have happened if I was president!”—a direct jab at Trump’s previous assertions that the Ukraine war would never have occurred under his watch.
As these memes circulate and provide comic relief, Trump’s recent pivot in US policy towards Russia has raised concerns among European leaders. There is growing apprehension that Washington might be considering significant concessions to Moscow, potentially reshaping Europe’s security landscape in a manner reminiscent of Cold War-era dynamics.
