WASHINGTON, USA — President Donald Trump on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, escalated his feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him “a dictator” in a post on Truth Social.
The remarks came just hours after Zelenskyy accused Trump of living in a “Russian disinformation bubble.”
The exchange comes as Ukraine struggles to secure continued Western support in its war against Russia, which has occupied 20% of Ukrainian territory and continues to bombard cities and infrastructure.
Trump’s remarks also follow his administration’s renewed diplomatic outreach to Moscow, including high-level U.S.-Russia talks held in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
Trump Questions U.S. Support for Ukraine
Trump, who has been vocal about his skepticism of U.S. aid to Ukraine, criticized Zelenskyy for the billions in financial and military assistance Kyiv has received since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
“A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a country left,” Trump wrote.
He further dismissed Zelenskyy as a “modestly successful comedian” who “talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion, 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’s post contained inaccuracies—Zelenskyy was democratically elected in 2019, and while Ukraine has received substantial U.S. aid, the total is far below the $350 billion Trump cited.
Republican Reactions: Mixed Support for Trump’s Remarks
The president’s comments drew mixed responses from Republican lawmakers. Some, like Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), distanced themselves from Trump’s remarks.
“I don’t agree,” Collins said when asked about Trump’s claim that Zelenskyy was a dictator.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana) also pushed back on Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine was responsible for the war, saying, “I think Vladimir Putin started the war.”
However, Vice President JD Vance defended Trump, criticizing Zelenskyy’s remarks about the U.S. president.
“He is attacking the only reason this country exists, publicly, right now,” Vance said in an interview.
“And it’s disgraceful. It’s not something that is going to move the president of the United States. In fact, it’s going to have the opposite effect.”
Zelenskyy Defends Ukrainian Sovereignty
Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s criticism by reaffirming that Ukraine would not accept any deal negotiated without its direct involvement.
“We do not want anyone making decisions behind our backs,” he said in a press conference in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy also dismissed Trump’s assertion that his approval rating in Ukraine is “4%” as “Russian disinformation.”
A poll released Wednesday by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed that 57% of Ukrainians trust him.
Regarding Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should hold elections, Zelenskyy reiterated that wartime conditions make voting impossible, a stance supported by Ukraine’s constitution.
U.S.-Russia Talks Raise Alarm in Kyiv and Europe
Trump’s remarks came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia.
The discussions, reportedly focused on ending the war, have sparked concern in Kyiv and among European allies, who insist that any resolution must include Ukraine at the negotiating table.
In Moscow, Lavrov welcomed Trump’s stance on NATO, praising him as “the first, and so far, apparently the only Western leader” to acknowledge that NATO’s expansion played a role in escalating tensions.
As the U.S. shifts its approach toward Russia and Ukraine, the widening rift between Trump and Zelenskyy raises questions about the future of U.S. support for Kyiv—at a time when Ukraine is fighting to maintain its territorial integrity against Russian aggression.
