Trump calls Zelensky a 'dictator' as rift between two leaders deepens
President Trump spent the day criticizing Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, labeling him a "dictator" and further escalating tensions between the two leaders.
Trump's remarks came after Zelensky, responding to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia that excluded Kyiv, accused President Biden of operating in a "disinformation space" controlled by Moscow.
While speaking at a Saudi-backed investment event in Florida, Trump claimed that Zelensky's primary skill was manipulating Joe Biden.
The "dictator" comment quickly drew condemnation from European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who stated that it was "wrong and dangerous" to undermine Zelensky's democratic legitimacy.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his full support for Ukraine's President Zelensky in a phone call, with a Downing Street spokesperson noting that Starmer reiterated his backing for Zelensky as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader. The spokesperson also emphasized that it was "perfectly reasonable" to suspend elections during wartime, as the UK did during World War II.
Zelensky is set to meet with Keith Kellogg, the American envoy for Russia and Ukraine, on Thursday. He stressed the importance of maintaining constructive dialogue with the US and Europe in securing peace. On social media, Zelensky pointed out that peace could be more stable with continued US and European cooperation.
Although Zelensky’s five-year term is set to conclude in May 2024, elections have been suspended due to martial law in Ukraine, which was declared after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock both criticized Trump's "dictator" label, with Baerbock describing it as "absurd." She noted that it’s clear who truly lives under dictatorship, referring to the people of Russia and Belarus.
Trump's comments in Florida mirrored those he made in a Truth Social post, where he again called Zelensky a "dictator." He claimed Zelensky refused to hold elections, citing low approval ratings due to widespread destruction in Ukraine. Trump also criticized Zelensky’s government for allegedly breaking a deal to secure rare-earth minerals from Ukraine.
Trump continued to attack Zelensky, accusing him of mishandling the war, stating that his country was in ruins, and millions had died unnecessarily. Meanwhile, he claimed the US was "successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia."
A White House official clarified that Trump’s post was a direct response to Zelensky's comments about "disinformation." This came after high-level talks between US and Russian officials, marking their first face-to-face discussions since the invasion. The growing divide among European leaders reflects differing tactics in response to Trump's actions.
Trump calls Zelensky a 'dictator' as rift between two leaders deepens
President Trump has spent the day attacking Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and deepening the rift between the two leaders.
His attacks came after Zelensky, reacting to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia from which Kyiv was excluded, said the US president was "living in a disinformation space" governed by Moscow.
Speaking at a Saudi-backed investment meeting in Florida, Trump said the only thing Zelensky "was really good at was playing Joe Biden like a fiddle".
The "dictator" slur quickly prompted criticism from European leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said "it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky his democratic legitimacy".
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made it clear he backed Zelensky in a phone call to the Ukrainian president.
A Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir "expressed his support for President Zelensky as Ukraine's democratically elected leader".
It was "perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during war time as the UK did during World War Two," the spokesperson added.
Zelensky is due to meet the American envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, on Thursday. He said it was crucial that the discussion - and overall co-operation with the US - remains constructive.
In a social media post, Zelensky said that peace could be more secure with the US and Europe.
Zelensky's five-year term of office was due to come to an end in May 2024. However, Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and elections are suspended.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also criticised Trump's use of the word "dictator" while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called the comments "absurd".
"If you look at the real world instead of just firing off a tweet, then you know who in Europe has to live in the conditions of a dictatorship: people in Russia, people in Belarus," she told broadcaster ZDF.
Speaking in Florida, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator", just hours after using the same word in a Truth Social post about the Ukrainian president.
"He refuses to have elections. He's low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?" Trump said.
He also referenced his attempt to get rare-earth minerals from Ukraine, accusing Zelensky's government of "breaking the deal".
His address echoed his wording of the Truth Social post where Trump said Zelensky "has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died." In the meantime, the US was "successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia," he said.
A White House official said Trump's post was in direct response to Zelensky's "disinformation" comments.
On Tuesday US and Russian officials held their first high-level, face-to-face talks since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Getty ImagesThe former prime minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, told the BBC that Russia was "popping champagne right now" in response to Trump's comments.
"Volodymyr Zelensky is a completely legitimate president," he said. "We cannot hold elections under martial law."
The war of words began with comments made by Trump on Tuesday at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, when he blamed Ukraine for the war.
Trump was asked by BBC News what his message was to Ukrainians who might feel betrayed, to which he replied: "I hear that they're upset about not having a seat, well, they've had a seat for three years and a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily."
"You should have never started it. You could have made a deal," Trump added.
Trump did not mention that President Vladimir Putin took the decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
Then on Wednesday, Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv: "We are seeing a lot of disinformation and it's coming from Russia. With all due respect to President Donald Trump as a leader... he is living in this disinformation space."
He added that he believed "the United States helped Putin to break out of years of isolation".
Later in the day, the Ukrainian leader said the world faced the choice to be "with Putin or with peace" and announced he would be meeting Washington's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, on Thursday.
Trump Calls Zelensky a 'Dictator,' Deepening Tensions Between the Leaders
President Trump spent the day attacking Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and further escalating the rift between the two leaders. Trump's comments followed Zelensky’s remarks about US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv was excluded. Zelensky had accused President Biden of being “in a disinformation space” controlled by Moscow.
Speaking at a Saudi-backed investment event in Florida, Trump claimed Zelensky’s only talent was manipulating President Biden. The "dictator" label sparked criticism from European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said it was "wrong and dangerous" to deny Zelensky’s democratic legitimacy.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his support for Zelensky in a phone call, with a Downing Street spokesperson noting that it was "reasonable" to suspend elections during wartime, as the UK did during World War II.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with US envoy Keith Kellogg on Thursday. He emphasized the importance of maintaining constructive US cooperation and stated on social media that peace could be more secure with continued collaboration between the US and Europe. Due to martial law, elections in Ukraine are suspended, and Zelensky’s term, which was set to end in May 2024, remains in limbo.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also criticized Trump's "dictator" comment. Baerbock called it "absurd" and pointed out that the true dictatorships are in Russia and Belarus, not Ukraine.
Trump’s comments in Florida mirrored his Truth Social post, where he repeated the "dictator" label, claiming Zelensky refused elections and was unpopular due to the destruction in Ukraine. Trump also accused Zelensky’s government of breaking a deal to secure rare-earth minerals. He further claimed that Zelensky had mishandled the war, leading to widespread devastation and unnecessary loss of life. Trump also claimed that the US was "successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia."
A White House official clarified that Trump's post was a direct response to Zelensky's disinformation accusations. The remarks came after the first high-level US-Russia talks since the invasion.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the BBC that Russia was "celebrating" Trump's comments and reaffirmed that Zelensky was a legitimate president, unable to hold elections under martial law.
The verbal sparring began on Tuesday when Trump blamed Ukraine for the war, suggesting it could have been avoided with a deal. Trump did not mention that Russia, under Putin, was responsible for the invasion.
In response to Trump’s comments, Zelensky rejected the former president’s claims and reiterated that the US had helped Russia break out of isolation. He also rejected Trump's attempt to negotiate access to Ukraine's rare minerals without offering security guarantees.
Trump also criticized Europe's role in the war, claiming it was more important to them than the US, given the geographic distance. Meanwhile, Russian President Putin indicated he would meet with Trump "with pleasure."
The EU announced new sanctions targeting Russian aluminium, ships suspected of illegally transporting oil, and additional Russian banks to be cut off from the global Swift payment system.
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