It’s no secret that Donald Trump enjoys stirring controversy, but his latest remarks on Ukraine have sent shockwaves across the world. In a stunning tirade, the US president openly sided with Vladimir Putin, calling Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a “dictator”, just hours after falsely blaming Ukraine for the war on its own soil.
Taking to social media on Wednesday afternoon, Trump launched into an all-caps assault, claiming that Zelenskyy “talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion dollars to go into a war that couldn’t be won, that never had to start.” He went even further, declaring that the Ukrainian leader would be unable to “settle” the war without him.
This marks the second attack Trump has made on Ukraine in just 24 hours. Speaking to reporters the night before, he directly accused Kyiv of being responsible for the conflict, stating: “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal. I could have made a deal for Ukraine.”
Rewriting History?
Trump’s comments notably ignore a key fact: it was Russia that invaded Ukraine in 2022, launching a full-scale war that has since devastated cities and cost thousands of lives. Yet, rather than condemning Moscow, Trump painted himself as the only person capable of ending the bloodshed, claiming: “It’s a war that never would have happened if I were president.”
His remarks come after he quietly sent US diplomats to Saudi Arabia this week for backchannel peace talks with Russia, without inviting Ukraine or European representatives. The move signals a stark departure from the strong pro-Ukraine stance of his predecessor, Joe Biden, and has left allies questioning where the White House truly stands.
When asked by the BBC if he had a message for Ukrainians who might feel “betrayed” by being excluded from negotiations, Trump responded dismissively: “I hear they’re upset about not having a seat. Well, they’ve had a seat for three years.”
A Double Standard?
In his attack, Trump also pointed to the fact that Ukraine has postponed elections due to martial law, suggesting that this undermines its democracy. Yet, he conveniently ignored the fact that Putin has remained in power since 2000, manipulating elections along the way.
He further alleged that Zelenskyy’s approval rating was “at 4%”, a claim easily debunked, as the Ukrainian leader’s popularity was still above 50% late last year. For comparison, that’s significantly higher than Trump’s own ratings back in the US.
Zelenskyy Fights Back
The Ukrainian president wasted no time in responding, accusing Trump of falling for Russian “disinformation.” He reiterated that Ukraine will not accept any peace deal that excludes them from the negotiation table, a clear rejection of Trump’s backdoor diplomacy.
As the war rages on and the stakes grow higher, Trump’s latest remarks raise serious concerns about how his administration plans to engage with global allies. For now, one thing is clear: his stance on Ukraine is setting the stage for a major geopolitical shake-up.
