KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that US President Donald Trump has succumbed to Russian-made “disinformation.”
The statement came after the US president blamed Kyiv for having “started” the fighting in Ukraine. Trump also said Zelensky had a minimal approval rating in his country.
Zelensky at a news conference in Kyiv said he “would like Trump’s team to be more truthful.”
On Tuesday, Trump suggested that Kyiv was responsible for the war, which will enter its fourth-year next week, as discussions between senior American and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia left Ukraine and its European allies on the sidelines.
Later Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to hold a videoconference on Ukraine with leaders from over 15 countries, mostly European nations, “to bring together all partners interested in peace and security” on the continent, according to his office.
On Monday, key European leaders held an emergency meeting in Paris after feeling excluded by the Trump administration.
Trump’s comments are likely to alarm Ukrainian officials, who have called on the world to help them in the war against Russia that began on February 24, 2022.
“If someone wants to replace me right now, that won’t happen. Regarding this 4% (approval rating), we’ve seen this disinformation, we understand that it is coming from Russia. We understand this and we have evidence that these figures are being discussed between America and Russia. Unfortunately, President Trump, whom we have great respect for as a leader of the American people, whom we greatly respect and who constantly supports us, lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky said.
He also dismissed claims by Trump that 90 percent of all aid received by Ukraine comes from the United States. He noted that about 34 per cent of all weapons in Ukraine are produced domestically, over 30 per cent of support comes from Europe, and up to 40 per cent from the US.
Trump on Tuesday told reporters that Ukraine “should have never started” the war and “could have made a deal” to prevent it.
American officials have indicated that Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO, in order to counter Russian aggression following a potential peace agreement, will not be realised. In response, Zelensky has stated that any settlement will require US security assurances to protect Ukraine from further Russian threats.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, reached the Ukrainian capital on Wednesday morning to listen to Kyiv’s concerns, after Ukraine chided the US for not being included in the Russian talks.
