President Zelenskyy has hit back at Donald Trump, accusing the former U.S. president of being trapped in a “disinformation bubble” over the war with Russia. Speaking at a press conference this morning, the Ukrainian leader responded to an outspoken shift in U.S. sentiment towards his country vis-a-vis Russia.
“We are seeing a lot of disinformation, and it’s coming from Russia,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He then addressed the comments made by Trump, stating, “Unfortunately, President Trump, with all due respect to him as a leader of a nation that we respect greatly, the American people are living in this disinformation bubble”
The remarks came after Trump, speaking at Mar-a-Lago yesterday, suggested that Ukraine bore responsibility for the war starting in the first place. What Trump seemed to be thinking is that, had Ukraine not insisted on joining NATO, Putin would not have invaded. The words Trump had for Zelenskyy were blunt.
“I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it’s going very well. But today I heard, well, we weren’t invited. Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it three years ago. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,” said Trump.
Trump’s claim that Ukraine started the war closely echoes statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In February 2022, Putin justified his military action by asserting that it was necessary to protect people who had allegedly suffered from “bullying and genocide” over the previous eight years. A year later, he shifted blame to the West, stating that they had “started the war and we used force in order to stop it.”
Additionally, Trump suggested that Ukraine must hold elections as President Zelenskyy’s term has expired and his approval rating is low.
“We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine where we have martial law, essentially martial law in Ukraine, where the leader in Ukraine—I mean, I hate to say it, but he’s down at 4% approval rating. And yeah, I would say that, you know, when they want a seat at the table, you could say that people have to. Wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have to say like, you know, it’s been a long time since we’ve had an election? That’s not a Russia thing. That’s something coming from me and coming from many other countries also,” said Trump.
Putin has made similar statements. In May last year, he questioned, “But who to negotiate with? That’s not an idle question. The legitimacy of the incumbent head of state is over.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Putin was willing to hold talks with Zelenskyy but that “legal aspects related to his legitimacy must be considered.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Special Envoy General Keith Kellogg arrived in Ukraine this morning after traveling by night train from Poland. Speaking to the press upon arrival, he said he was looking forward to “wonderful talks,” emphasizing that he was there to listen. He acknowledged Ukraine’s “strong need for security guarantees” and reaffirmed the importance of its “defense of its sovereignty.”
Zelenskyy has vowed to ensure that Kellogg receives all relevant facts, including accurate information about his support rating at 57%. How Trump will respond to Zelenskyy criticizing him for disinformation remains to be seen.
Knowing Trump, a response is inevitable. Whether Zelenskyy will have an alternative but to accept the terms President Trump dictates depends on Europe, which at the moment lacks a unified strategy regarding the deployment of European troops.
