A day after US President Donald Trump blamed Ukraine for causing Russia’s 2022 invasion, he is now accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of being a dictator and warned him to make haste on making the peace deal with Russia or risk losing his country.
On social media, Trump wrote that Zelenskiy is “A Dictator without Elections” before warning him to accelerate his move. In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote back that Ukraine will defend their right to exist after stating that they will not give up.
Zelenskiy has remained as president more than his five-year term due to the martial law Ukraine imposed in February 2022 to counter Russia’s invasion. Furthermore, 57% of Ukrainians still trust him, according to a poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
Russia is now controlling more than 20% of Ukraine territory and gaining as Trump ended the Russia isolation campaign by making a phone call to President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, during the second meeting of European leaders in Paris, several calls for further support on Ukraine and improving Europe’s defense capabilities have been made. However, only a few concrete decisions were made during this meeting. Nevertheless, the European Union agreed to make further sanctions against Russia, including on aluminium and vessels that the union believed are shadow fleets carrying Russian oil.
Zelenskiy also discussed plans to reach a peace deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while also seeking security guarantees. The Ukraine leader stated that his country is counting on “the unity of Europe and the pragmatism of America.”
As for further negotiation, Trump stated that he may meet with the Russian leader this month. Meanwhile, Putin stated the need for trust between the US and Russia to end the war and allow Ukraine to participate in the further peace negotiations.
Ukraine and the European governments were not invited to the talk between US and Russia in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Many concerns that their vital security interests are now being ignored.
To guarantee US security, Zelenskiy even suggested offering the right for US companies to mine valuable minerals in Ukraine that Trump initially proposed. However, the first proposal made by Trump last week did not include sufficient security guarantees that the Ukrainian leader is seeking.
