Donald Trump faces widespread criticism for his scathing attack on Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday
Donald Trump’s comments about Ukraine have been widely condemned (Image: PA)
Donald Trump’s ludicrous claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator was one “of the most shameful remarks ever made by a US president”, critics have blasted.
Mr Trump was accused of repeating Kremlin propaganda as he claimed Ukraine started with the war with Russia.
He claimed the Ukrainian leader had done a “terrible job”, adding that Mr Zelensky needed to “move fast or he is not going to have a country left”.
But the comments have provoked a furious backlash, with politicians and military experts warning of “dangerous days” as Mr Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin could encourage the Russian dictator to attack a NATO country – triggering World War 3.
Donald Trump says Ukraine should hold ‘new elections’
Lord Dannatt, a former head of the British Army, warned: “Trump and Putin are trying to bully Zelensky into having an election in order to install a pro-Moscow president.”
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Mike Pence, Mr Trump’s Vice President during his first term, added: “Mr President, Ukraine did not ‘start’ this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The road to peace must be built on the truth.”
John Bolton, Mr Trump’s former national security adviser, said: “Trump’s characterisations of Zelensky and Ukraine are some of the most shameful remarks ever made by a US president.
“Our support of Ukraine has never been about charity, our way of life at home depends on our strength abroad.”
Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: “Some basic facts:
“1. Russia invaded Ukraine and murdered thousands.
“2. US defence equipment and European money have supported Kyiv jointly.
“3. Zelenskyy is no more a dictator than Churchill.
“4. Putin is determined on destroying the US built alliances to advance his power.”
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of playing former US president Joe Biden “like a fiddle”.
“He refuses to have rlections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle’,” said Mr Trump.
“A dictator without elections, Zelensky 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.”
Mr Trump also said Europe “has failed to bring peace”.
Mr Zelensky was elected as president of Ukraine in May 2019. Elections were previously scheduled for 2024, but they were not held as a result of martial law being in place.
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Former foreign secretary James Cleverly said: “The USA is a friend and ally. But we must be honest and courageous when we disagree.
“President Trump is wrong about President Zelensky and Ukraine and the Foreign Secretary should say so, his silence is deafening.
“The UK and USA must send the message that we don’t let tyrants win.”
Bob Seely, a former member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said: “What Trump said is untrue, and frankly he is just repeating Russian dictator Putin’s lines.
“Trump seems to be psychologically under Putin’s influence. Why? This is a disaster for the UK, for Europe, for Ukraine and the US. Much more of this and Trump is going to destroy US moral and political leadership in place for the last 70 years.
“Ever since World War 2, the Russians (and now with Chinese support) have tried to break the link between the US and Europe. If this happens the Ukraine war will widen. Putin will attack NATO states in the Baltic. These are dangerous days.”
Tory MP Simon Hoare said: “Let’s say it unambiguously: Trump is an egotistical stranger to the truth and ignorant of history.
“He’s a menace to the world order. Ukraine was attacked. If Russia wants peace: put your guns down Putin and withdraw.
“The wider NATO family must end its addiction to US defence dollars now.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “President Zelensky is not a dictator. He is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine who bravely stood up to Putin’s illegal invasion.
“Under my leadership, and under successive Conservative Prime Ministers, we have and always will stand with Ukraine.
“President Trump is right that Europe needs to pull its weight – and that includes the UK.
“We need to get serious.
“The PM will have my support to increase defence spending – there is a fully funded plan to get to 2.5% sitting on his desk.
“That should be the bare minimum. Starmer should get on with it, get on a plane to Washington and show some leadership. We cannot afford to get this wrong.”
Mr Zelensky accused the US president of being “trapped” in a Russian “disinformation bubble” after the billionaire suggested Ukraine was to blame for Moscow’s invasion of the country.
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The Ukrainian president also said he would not “sell” his nation following talks between Russia and the US to broker a peace deal without Ukraine present.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson, an ardent supporter of Kyiv, called on Europe to “get serious” about supporting the war-torn country amid two crisis meetings this week in Paris.
He was responding to Mr Trump’s claims that Ukraine started the war and it should hold an election because Mr Zelensky’s approval rating stands at 4%.
Mr Johnson said: “When are we Europeans going to stop being scandalised about Donald Trump and start helping him to end this war? Of course Ukraine didn’t start the war.
“You might as well say that America attacked Japan at Pearl Harbor.
“Of course a country undergoing a violent invasion should not be staging elections. There was no general election in the UK from 1935 to 1945. Of course Zelensky’s ratings are not 4%. They are actually about the same as Trump’s.”
As for what action Europe should be taking, Mr Johnson pointed to billions of pounds of frozen Russian assets that “could and should be used to pay Ukraine and compensate the US for its support”.
Mr Johnson said: “Trump’s statements are not intended to be historically accurate but to shock Europeans into action. In particular the US can see $300billion 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.”
On Wednesday, Western officials revealed less than 30,000 European-led troops will be deployed to key cities, ports and critical national infrastructure sites across Ukraine as part of a reassurance force.
They will not be based in eastern Ukraine, it is understood.
US warplanes will be based in Romania and Poland while ground forces will remain in the region to deter Putin from attacking again, sources said.
Mr Trump has made it clear he wants the war to end as soon as possible, even if it means further territorial losses for Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Putin said he “has no close relations” with Mr Trump and that they have not seen each other “for a long time”.
But Mr Trump wants to meet him, Putin told reporters in St Petersburg, adding that he would do so “with pleasure”.
There has been speculation that the leaders could meet soon, even before the end of the month.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Zelensky said: “I am protecting Ukraine, I can’t sell it away, I can’t sell our state.
“With all due respect to President Donald Trump, as the leader of a nation that we respect greatly … [he] is living in this disinformation space.”
Mr Trump had said he was “disappointed” that Mr Zelensky had complained about being left out of talks and suggested Kyiv should have been willing to make concessions to Moscow.
“You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,” the US president said to reporters.
Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace said Mr Trump’s statements at his Florida resort were “pure Disney in both sort of facts and reality”.
He added: “I know Mar-a-Lago is quite close to Disney World, but that was pure Disney in both sort of facts and reality.
“I think the Kremlin have been pretty happy since day one. If the White House is repeating those sort of propaganda lines that, you know, Ukraine started the war, etc, then of course they’ll be really happy that people are rewriting history.”
