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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump for allegedly residing within a “disinformation bubble” and refuted Trump’s assertion of a $500 billion debt for aid to Kyiv. This follows Trump’s comments suggesting Ukraine bore responsibility for the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Speaking from Kyiv, Zelenskyy condemned Trump on Wednesday for perpetuating “a lot of disinformation coming from Russia.” Zelenskyy’s remarks followed his exclusion from U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, during which Russian President Vladimir Putin commended the U.S. for improved relations and suggested that European leaders had excluded themselves from dialogue.
Zelenskyy’s response was triggered by Trump’s statements on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where Trump inaccurately accused Kyiv of initiating the conflict, the largest in Europe since World War II. Trump stated his “disappointment” over Ukraine’s reaction to being excluded from talks in Saudi Arabia, implying that the country had been involved in the conflict for three years and should have made a deal to avoid it.
Following a significant shift in U.S. policy towards Russia, Trump recently claimed to have spoken with Putin about ending the Ukraine conflict without consulting Kyiv or European allies. Putin praised the U.S.-Russian discussions in Saudi Arabia, expressing hope for renewed cooperation on mutual interests, and noted the constructive approach of U.S. negotiators.
Putin refrained from commenting on U.S.-European relations but attributed blame to EU leaders for alienating Trump during his election campaign. He expressed willingness to meet with Trump, provided any such summit receives thorough preparation.
On the subject of elections, Zelenskyy rejected Trump’s call for elections in Ukraine after Trump cited a questionable approval rating for the Ukrainian president. Zelenskyy referenced a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, which showed that 57% of Ukrainians trust him, countering Trump’s suggestion that his approval was at 4%.
Regarding claims of a $500 billion financial obligation to the U.S., Zelenskyy clarified the financial contributions towards military efforts against Russia. He explained that Kyiv has invested $320 billion in the conflict, with $200 billion from international military aid. Of this, the United States has supplied approximately $60 billion, alongside an additional $31.5 billion in financial assistance. Zelenskyy’s figures align broadly with data from the U.S. State Department regarding U.S. military support.