Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded forcefully to Donald Trump’s accusation overnight that Ukraine instigated its war with Russia, stating that the former American president is ensnared in a “disinformation bubble” and asserting that his country is not for sale.
This combative reply followed Trump’s unexpected remarks on Tuesday, claiming that Ukraine was to blame for Russia’s invasion three years ago. Trump also suggested that Kyiv had the chance to negotiate a deal to avert the conflict.
Zelenskyy noted that the approval ratings for his Ukrainian counterpart stood at 4% in Ukraine — despite a recent opinion poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicating that 57% of Ukrainians have confidence in Zelenskyy.
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“While we’re discussing 4%, we recognize this disinformation and understand that it’s coming from Russia,” Zelenskyy stated during a news conference in Kyiv on Wednesday, dismissing Trump’s assertion.
He emphasized that any efforts to replace him amidst the war would be unsuccessful — Trump had raised concerns about potential Ukrainian elections, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s persistent claims that Zelenskyy is not Ukraine’s legitimate leader — arguing that the vast majority of Ukrainians would oppose any concessions to Russia.
“The army is quite resilient, and it is the most resilient in Europe … and it guarantees us the opportunity to communicate with dignity and on equal terms with other partners — allies or not,” Zelenskyy remarked.
In reference to U.S. assistance extended to Ukraine — totaling $67 billion in military aid and $31.5 billion in budgetary support — Zelenskyy described American expectations for Ukraine to transfer $500 billion in minerals as “not a serious conversation,” reinforcing that he cannot sell his country.
Zelenskyy’s comments were made the day after President Trump reacted to earlier statements from the Ukrainian leader about not wanting “anyone making decisions behind our backs.”
During a press briefing at his Mar-a-Lago resort late Tuesday, Trump claimed he believed he could end the war in Ukraine, remarking, “but today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years.”
“You should have never started it,” he stated. “You could have made a deal.”
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The reception in Moscow regarding the broader shift in U.S. foreign policy appears to be positive. During his address to Russian lawmakers on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov refrained from directly commenting on Trump’s statements but hinted that the Kremlin was satisfied with the ongoing discussions.
The U.S. president is “the first, and so far, the only Western leader who has publicly and emphatically stated that one of the root causes of the Ukrainian situation was the audacious path taken by the previous administration to pull Ukraine into NATO,” Lavrov observed. “No other Western leader has ever articulated this,”
“This is already a sign that he grasps our perspective,” Lavrov continued, during a speech which addressed the broader context of a potential second Trump administration rather than focusing solely on the president’s comments from Tuesday.
The Kremlin likely welcomed Trump’s suggestion that discussions may arise concerning the future of Ukraine’s elections.
In doing so, the president echoed criticisms from Vladimir Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for nearly 25 years and has frequently challenged the legitimacy of Zelenskyy’s leadership.
Ukraine’s last presidential election occurred in 2019, and a vote scheduled for April was postponed; however, Zelenskyy has previously stated that conducting elections during wartime is unfeasible, a viewpoint supported by the nation’s constitution.
According to a Pew Research Center poll released earlier this month, 47% of Americans approve of President Trump’s performance in office to some extent.
