DONALD Trump has tripled down on his criticism of Ukraine as he issued a blistering attack on Zelensky.
In a tirade on his Truth Social account, the US President blasted him as a “dictator” and a “moderately successful” comedian.
APDonald Trump is bringing Russia back in from the cold in a bid to end the war in Ukraine[/caption]
AFPZelensky suffered a blistering attack from Trump on Truth Social[/caption]
AFPFighting continues across the frontline in Ukraine[/caption]
ReutersUkraine remains under siege from Russia[/caption]
Trump’s more than 200-word blast doubled down on his views on Ukraine and Zelensky
Trump has been attempting to open talks with Vladimir Putin to end the brutal war between Russia and Ukraine which has been raging since 2022.
The 232 word post was the 78-year-old’s strongest rebuke of Zelensky to date – and made crystal clear that he believes only the US has the clout to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump wrote Zelensky was a “modestly successful comedian” and accused him of having “talked the US into a war that couldn’t be won”.
He raged the war “never had to start” and said Ukraine could “never be able to settle” the conflict without “the US and TRUMP”.
“The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back,” wrote Trump.
“Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us.
“We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation.”
Trump blasted Zelensky as playing Biden “like a fiddle” – and called him a “dictator without elections”.
He wrote: “Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.
“In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only TRUMP, and the Trump Administration, can do.”
He has been vocal in his criticism of Kyiv and Zelensky – last night saying they should have sued for peace sooner and agreed concessions with the Kremlin.
His change in stance marks the largest shift in US policy towards Russia in decades and is seen as bringing Putin back in from the cold.
European leaders have been wrongfooted by Trump’s screeching reversal of his predecessor Biden’s support for Kyiv.
And now they are scrambling to figure out how – if they can at all – support Ukraine in the fact of a total withdrawal by the US.
Trump’s blast came just hours after Zelensky attacked the US President – accusing him of living in a “Russian disinformation bubble”.
Ukraine has been valiantly holding of Russia for nearly three yearsRex features
AFPCivilians wearing military uniforms take part in a military training organized by Ukrainian soldiers[/caption]
EPAUkrainian troops fire a howitzer at their Russian foes[/caption]
US and Russian officials met yesterday in Saudia Arabia as they began talks – with Europe and Ukraine notably not having a seat at the table.
And there is expected to be a face-to-face summit in the coming weeks between Trump and Vlad.
Zelensky accused Moscow of misleading Trump, saying: “Unfortunately, President Trump, who we have great respect for as leader of the American people … lives in this disinformation space.”
He continued: “We want security guarantees this year because we want to end the war this year.”
The Ukrainian president also said the costs of the war in Ukraine so far sits at $320 billion, with $120 billion paid by Ukraine and the rest from the US and Europe – but Trump disputes the numbers.
He wrote in his post on Truth Social that the US has spent $350billion on supporting Ukraine.
Trump’s Truth Social post in full:
TRUMP blasted Zelensky in a new post on Truth Social.
“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. The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation. On top of this, Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is “MISSING.” 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.” A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left. In the meantime, 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. I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…..”
And the US President has previously stressed that the US wants the equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earth minerals from Ukraine in exchange for support.
But Zelensky said the American demands are “not a serious conversation,” adding: “I am protecting Ukraine. I can’t sell our country”.
The Ukrainian president also shared that while the US alleges that 90 per cent of support for Ukraine comes from them, “the truth is somewhere else”.
Zelensky added: “We are grateful for their support”.
He made the comments shortly before he was expected with the US special envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg, who arrived in Kyiv today.
The Ukrainian president said it’s important the US special envoy “walks on Kyiv streets” to then “talk to people about whether they trust their President, whether they trust Putin”.
Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, having annexed Crimea in 2014 after Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was driven out by demonstrations.
Russia also backed proxy forces who took areas of eastern Ukraine, accusing the new government in Kyiv of discrimination and genocide against Russian speakers – with the claims rejected by the International Court of Justice.
After the various agreements that aimed to end the post-2014 clash failed, Russia began to bolster its troops on the border with Ukraine in late 2021, before launching the invasion in February the following year.
Mad Vlad claimed that the aim of the operation was to “demilitarise and denazify” Zelensky’s pro-West government while preventing Ukraine from joining Nato.
French President Emmanuel Macron is to hold a video conference on Ukraine today with leaders of over 15 countries – mostly European nations.
The meeting comes with the aim of gathering all partners interested in peace and security on the continent, his office said.
APTrump has made it his mission to reopen talks with Putin[/caption]
EPAUkraine’s head of the presidential office Andriy Yermak meets with Trump’s envoy General Keith Kellogg[/caption]
GettyUkrainian soldiers lay one of their comrades to rest[/caption]
EPAZelensky’s options are now running out[/caption]
Key European leaders held an emergency meeting in Paris on Monday after they felt they had been sidelined by the Trump administration following the historic peace talks between the US and Russia.
Meanwhile US intelligence and its closest allies warn that Putin doesn’t plan on abandoning his goal and believes he can outlast Ukraine and Europe to seize full control of the country.
One congressional source told NBC that the US has “zero intelligence that Putin is interested in a real peace deal right now”.
And a Western intelligence source said that the dictator “thinks he’s winning,” despite the gargantuan figure of Russian casualties.
Another added that while Putin may agree to a “ceasefire” in Ukraine, it would be for a chilling ulterior motive to rebuild his armed forces.
The sources believe that Putin’s willingness for peace talks could also be to gain potentially concessions and attempt to reenter the international arena.
They added that mad Vlad has no plans to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine or reposition any forces or equipment away from Russia‘s west.
In Estonia, reports have emerged that Russia is expanding its armed forces to continue supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine – and prepare for a chilling future confrontation with Nato.
Despite heavy losses in Ukraine, Russia looks to increase the size of its army to 1.5 million by 2026, and near Estonia, Putin’s puppets have formed multiple units, Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service reports.
The US has paused immigration applications filed by migrants from Ukraine and Latin America, according to CBS news.
The decision was reportedly made due to concerns over fraud and security, sources said.
Timeline of Ukraine-Russia relations
By Annabel Bate, Foreign News Reporter
The 1990s:
Following a flurry of anti-communist protests across Eastern Europe and throughout the Soviet bloc, the new Ukrainian parliament The Rada, was formed out of the previous Soviet legislature.
The parliament voted to declare independence from the Soviet Union.
Following independence having to be declared a second time, on Boxing Day in 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved in Ukraine.
The following year, Nato allies began to consider adding central and Eastern European members for the fist time.
In 1994, following the Soviet Union’s collapse, Ukraine had the world’s third-largest nuclear stockpile.
In a treaty dubbed the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agreed to trade its intercontinental ballistic missiles among other nuclear weaponry.
This was in exchange for the US, UK and Russia to “respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine”.
The 2000s:
The 2004 Ukrainian presidential election set president Leonid Kuchma’s party, led by his successor Viktor Yanukovych, against pro-democracy opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko.
But in the final months of the campaign, Yushchenko fell mysteriously ill – with it later confirmed by doctors that he had been poisoned.
Yanuvovych won the election despite accusations of rigging which led to mass protests that have been dubbed the Orange Revolution and was overturned by courts.
Ukraine were still not allowed to enter Nato due to opposition from France and Germany, but in 2008, Nato compromised, promising Ukraine will be a member in the future.
By 2010, Yanuvovych was elected president and said that Ukraine should be a “neutral state” that cooperated with both Russia and the West.
2014:
Yanukovych announced that he was refusing to sign an association agreement with the EU to bring Ukraine into a free trade agreement and blamed pressure from Russia on the decision.
Gargantuan protests erupted across Ukraine, calling for Yanukovych to resign.
At the end of February, violence between cops and protesters resulted in 100 deaths – representing the bloodiest week in Ukraine’s post-soviet history.
Before the impeachment vote, Yanukovych fled to Russia and Ukraine’s government voted unanimously to remove him and install an interim government.
This announced it would sign the EU agreement and charged Yanukovych with mass murder of the Maidan protesters while issuing a warrant for his arrest.
Russia declared the change in Ukraine’s government as an illegal coup and stationed armed men at checkpoints and facilities in the Crimean Peninsula.
The Crimean parliament voted break way from Ukraine to join Russia with 97 per cent in favour of it – but the results have been disputed.
Putin finalised the Russian annexation of Crimea in March that year, resulting in the US and European allies imposing sanctions.
The run-up to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine:
After the various agreements that aimed to end the post-2014 clash failed, Russia began to bolster its troops on the border with Ukraine in late 2021, before launching the invasion in February the following year.
Mad Vlad claimed that the aim of the operation was to “demilitarise and denazify” Zelensky’s pro-West government while preventing Ukraine from joining Nato.
Around 240,000 Ukrainians were allowed into the US as part of Biden’s Uniting for Ukraine policy – many of which filed applications to allow them to legally stay or settle in the US, CBS added.
The freeze on processing will reportedly remain in place while officials review vetting procedures.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was at the negotiating table on Wednesday, praised Donald Trump for criticising Zelensky, branding the Ukrainian president “pathetic,” state media reports.
According to state-run TASS news agency, Lavrov said: “[Trump] is a completely independent politician.
“Besides that, he is a person who is used to talking directly.
“Such people typically do not hide their opinions about pathetic individuals like Mr Zelensky.”
And one of Putin’s closest allies called Zelensky a “cornered rat”.
Past Prime Minister Boris Johnson has weighed in on Trump’s controversial comments, explaining that they “are not intended to be historically accurate but to shock Europeans into action”.
He said on X: “When are we Europeans going to stop being scandalised about Donald Trump and start helping him to end this war?
“In particular the US can see $300bn of frozen Russian assets – mainly in Belgium.
“That is cash that could and should be used to pay Ukraine and compensate the US for its support.
“Why is Europe preventing the unfreezing of Putin’s cash? The US believes Belgium, France and other countries are blocking. It’s absurd. We need to get serious and fast.”
He added that “Ukraine didn’t start the war,” explaining it would be like claiming the US attacked Japan at Pearl Habor.
The ex-PM also dismissed Trump’s claim about Zelensky’s approval ratings.
As Europe reels from Trump blaming Kyiv for the war, minister Dame Diana Johnson said that Britain will “play our part” in pushing for security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any peace settlement.
Facing questions from broadcasters on Wednesday, the minister declined to call out the US president’s comments but said Britain is clear that Russia’s invasion has been “an act of war against a sovereign state”.