Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired back at former U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing him of spreading falsehoods about the war with Russia. In a scathing rebuke, Zelensky stated that Trump is operating within a “disinformation space,” following Trump’s baseless claim that Ukraine was responsible for starting the conflict.
Zelensky Hits Back at Trump’s Ukraine War Narrative
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, Zelensky didn’t hold back, directly challenging Trump’s assertions and emphasizing Ukraine’s stance that any resolution to the war must include Kyiv’s participation.
“Unfortunately, President Trump—I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we deeply value, the American people who have always stood with us—but unfortunately, he lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky stated.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over high-level U.S.-Russia discussions that took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday—talks that notably excluded Ukraine. The meeting focused on possible resolutions to the war, raising fears in Kyiv that decisions were being made behind closed doors, potentially to Ukraine’s detriment.
Zelensky Sounds the Alarm on U.S.-Russia Talks
While acknowledging that nations have the right to hold diplomatic discussions, Zelensky voiced concerns that the direct engagement between Washington and Moscow played right into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hands.
“This helped Putin out of his long isolation,” Zelensky warned, referring to Russia’s diplomatic alienation following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The exclusion of Ukraine from these talks seemed to trigger Trump’s Tuesday night remarks, in which he not only questioned why the war had not ended but also falsely implied that Ukraine was to blame for its own invasion.
Trump Echoes Kremlin Talking Points
During a speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump dismissed Ukraine’s absence from the negotiations and suggested that the war should have already been resolved.
“Today I heard, ‘Oh well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should’ve ended it after three years. You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal,” Trump claimed.
This statement mirrors a long-standing Kremlin narrative that shifts blame for the war onto Ukraine. However, historical facts tell a different story. The conflict traces back to 2014 when Russia illegally annexed Crimea and supported pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. The situation escalated in February 2022 when Putin ordered a full-scale invasion, sending troops across Ukraine’s borders and launching attacks on major cities.
Trump Questions Zelensky’s Legitimacy—Zelensky Fires Back
Trump’s remarks didn’t stop at war-related misinformation. He went a step further, appearing to question Zelensky’s legitimacy as Ukraine’s leader.
“We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law,” Trump said, before falsely claiming that Zelensky’s approval rating had dropped to just 4%.
In reality, Zelensky was elected in 2019 with an overwhelming 73% of the vote. His term was initially set to end in May 2024, but elections have been postponed due to martial law—an emergency measure imposed after Russia’s invasion. Under Ukrainian law, elections cannot be held while martial law is in effect.
Zelensky swiftly refuted Trump’s claims about his approval rating, labeling them as disinformation pushed by Russia.
“The claim that my approval rating is 4% comes from Russia. We have evidence that these numbers were discussed between the U.S. and Russia,” Zelensky stated.
As tensions rise, Zelensky’s strong rebuttal signals that Ukraine will not allow Trump’s misleading statements to go unchallenged, especially as global diplomatic maneuvers continue to shape the future of the war.
