US President Donald Trump branded Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator on Wednesday, escalating tensions with Kyiv and raising concerns over Washington’s shifting stance on the Ukraine war.
“A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, aiming for the Ukrainian president’s continued leadership under martial law.
Zelensky, elected in 2019 for a five-year term, has remained in office due to wartime measures. Trump accused him of refusing to hold elections, claiming he was unpopular and had manipulated US President Joe Biden for support.
Trump’s comments come as his administration explores negotiations with Moscow, signalling a stark departure from Biden’s approach of sanctioning Russia and backing Ukraine with military aid.
Trump’s remarks triggered immediate backlash from European leaders and US officials. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called his statements wrong and dangerous, while Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, also rebuked him.
Zelensky dismissed Trump’s attacks, accusing him of falling for Russian disinformation. He warned that the US had helped Russian President Vladimir Putin escape years of diplomatic isolation.
Trump’s comments and the recent US-Russia negotiations have emboldened Moscow. Putin praised the talks held in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, where Kyiv was notably absent.
Meanwhile, Putin claimed Russian troops had advanced into Ukraine’s Sumy region, though Ukraine denied any such incursion.
With tensions between Zelensky and Trump escalating, Ukraine is now preparing for a meeting with Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg, in Kyiv on Thursday.
