United States President Donald Trump escalated tensions with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, labelling him a “dictator” in a move that could have major implications for ongoing efforts to end the war sparked by Russia’s invasion three years ago.
The United States has been a key provider of funding and arms to Ukraine, but since assuming office, Trump has signalled a shift in policy by initiating talks with Moscow.
“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, referencing the Ukrainian leader, whose five-year term expired last year.
Under Ukrainian law, elections are not mandated during wartime, allowing Zelensky to remain in office under martial law imposed after the Russian invasion.
On Tuesday, Trump held a press conference where he criticised Zelensky, reiterated several Kremlin narratives about the war, and called for an end to the conflict. In response, Zelensky accused Trump of falling for Russian “disinformation,” particularly Trump’s claims that Ukraine had “started” the war and his questioning of Zelensky’s legitimacy.
“He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing (Joe) Biden ‘like a fiddle,’” Trump wrote in another Truth Social post.
“In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only ‘TRUMP,’ and the Trump Administration, can do,” he added.
While Zelensky’s popularity has declined, polling from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicates that trust in him has never fallen below 50 percent since the war began.
