President Donald Trump doubled down on his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming that Zelensky is responsible for starting the war with Russia and accusing him of doing a “terrible job” leading Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that Zelensky had convinced the U.S. to spend billions of dollars on a war that never needed to happen. “Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion dollars, to go into a war that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a war that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Trump wrote.
Trump also questioned why the U.S. had been providing so much support to Ukraine while Europe, being much closer to the conflict, wasn’t contributing as much. He added that Zelensky was failing to lead effectively. “He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle,'” Trump stated.
He went on to call Zelensky a “Dictator without Elections” and claiming “we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only “TRUMP,” and the Trump Administration, can do. Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelenskyy probably wants to keep the “gravy train” going.”
Trump’s remarks come just one day after he accused Zelensky of starting the war. He criticized the Ukrainian president for not doing more to protect his country and suggested that Ukraine’s future was at risk. “Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left,” Trump said.
Trump also pointed out that the war in Ukraine had resulted in immense destruction, with millions of lives lost. “I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and millions have unnecessarily died – and so it continues.”
The conflict began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, following demands that Ukraine not join NATO. The U.S. has provided significant military and financial support to Ukraine, with nearly $183 billion in aid approved as of the end of fiscal year 2024.
Despite ongoing support for Ukraine, Trump has vowed to bring an end to the war, boasting that only his administration could achieve peace with Russia. His approach has shifted away from the Biden administration’s stance of involving Ukraine in every decision about its future.
Trump’s criticism also follows a meeting between Trump administration officials and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia, which did not include Ukrainian officials. Zelensky expressed frustration over being left out of the talks.
As of January 2024, the U.S. had provided over $66 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the war began. Despite the ongoing support, Trump insists that only his leadership can bring peace to the region.
