Desk:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky launched a scathing attack on former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, accusing him of falling into Russia’s “propaganda trap.” Zelensky responded strongly to Trump’s recent claim that his approval rating had plummeted. Trump, after a U.S.-Russia meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, stated that Zelensky’s approval rating was just 4%, while recent surveys indicate it is actually around 57%.
Dismissing Trump’s statement as “Russian misinformation,” Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian television, “If someone tries to remove me, it will not be possible. The claim about my 4% approval rating is a false rumor. Trump has fallen into the Russian propaganda trap.” He further urged Trump and his team to understand the real situation in Ukraine, emphasizing that no one in Ukraine trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Riyadh to discuss improving U.S.-Russia relations and efforts to end the Ukraine war. Criticizing the meeting, Zelensky stated that the U.S. had indirectly helped Putin by engaging in talks without Ukraine’s involvement. Russia made it clear during the meeting that it would not accept the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine and would never agree to Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Following the meeting, Zelensky immediately canceled his planned visit to Saudi Arabia, saying he did not want to “legitimize” the talks. “We want no decisions to be made behind our backs. No decision about ending the Ukraine war can be taken without Ukraine’s participation,” he asserted. He also called for Turkey and European nations to be included in the discussions.
After Zelensky’s remarks, Trump launched a counterattack, calling the Ukrainian leader an “incompetent leader” and blaming him for the ongoing war. Trump claimed that Zelensky should have reached a deal with Russia three years ago to prevent the war. Meanwhile, both the U.S. and Russia are forming high-level teams to negotiate an end to the war.
It is worth noting that the Ukraine-Russia conflict began in February 2014, but escalated dramatically in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.