Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly rebuked US President Donald Trump, accusing him of living in a “Russian disinformation bubble” following Trump’s recent comments about the war in Ukraine and his remarks on Zelensky’s leadership.
Trump had slammed Zelensky’s approval ratings, called for new elections in Ukraine, and suggested that Ukraine was at fault for initiating the war with Russia.
The comments followed the historic peace talks between the US and Russian foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia.
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Zelensky, speaking shortly after these talks, expressed his disappointment, saying, “Unfortunately, President Trump, who we have great respect for as leader of the American people … lives in this disinformation space.” He also made it clear that Ukraine seeks security guarantees in an effort to end the war this year, stating, “We want security guarantees this year because we want to end the war this year.”
The Ukrainian president highlighted the costs of the war, which he claimed have reached $320 billion, with Ukraine contributing $120 billion and the rest coming from the US and Europe. However, Trump has disputed these figures and claimed that the US expects $500 billion worth of rare earth minerals from Ukraine in exchange for support.
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Zelensky dismissed these demands as “not a serious conversation” and reaffirmed that he is protecting Ukraine and “can’t sell our country.”
While Zelensky acknowledged the US for its support, he added, “the truth is somewhere else.” He further stated that the majority of support for Ukraine does not come from the US, despite claims that 90% of the support is from them.
Ahead of a planned meeting with US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, Zelensky stated that it was crucial for Kellogg to experience Kyiv firsthand, meeting with people to assess their trust in their president and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Trump remains optimistic that he has the power to end the war, blaming Zelensky for the conflict. Trump argued that Ukraine could have negotiated a deal with Putin three years ago to avoid the invasion.
He remarked, “Today I heard, ‘oh, we weren’t invited’. Well, you’ve been there for three years, you should have ended it. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
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Despite personal respect for Zelensky, Trump emphasized that his focus was on achieving results: “I care about getting the job done. You have leadership now that’s allowed a war to go on.”
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, following its annexation of Crimea in 2014, after Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was ousted in protests. Russia also supported proxy forces in eastern Ukraine, accusing Kyiv’s government of discrimination against Russian speakers—claims rejected by the International Court of Justice.
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Since then, various peace talks have failed, and the situation escalated as Russia amassed troops along the Ukrainian border before launching its invasion in 2022.
Putin cited the need to “demilitarise and denazify” the Ukrainian government, as well as prevent Ukraine from joining NATO.
As global leaders continue to grapple with the situation, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold a video conference today with leaders of over 15 countries, mostly from Europe, to discuss efforts for peace and security in the region.
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