Photo credit: France24
President Donald Trump of the US in reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s objection to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia from which Ukraine was excluded has called Zelensky a “dictator” and deepened the rift between both.
Former US President Joe Biden did not escape as Trump said the only thing Zelensky “was really good at was playing Joe Biden like a fiddle”.
The “dictator” slur did not come without criticism from European leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said, “it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky his democratic legitimacy.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made it clear he backed Zelensky in a phone call to the Ukrainian President.
Zelensky is due to meet the American envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, on Thursday. He said it was critical that the discussion – and overall cooperation with the US – remains constructive.
In a social media post, Zelensky said that peace could be more secure with the US and Europe.
The former prime minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that Russia was “popping champagne right now” in response to Trump’s comments.
“Volodymyr Zelensky is a completely legitimate president,” he said. “We cannot hold elections under martial law.”
