Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Donald Trump of operating in a Russian disinformation space Wednesday amid escalating tensions over stalled peace negotiations. The former U.S. president ignited controversy by labeling Zelenskyy a 'dictator without elections' and demanding immediate leadership changes despite Ukraine's wartime election ban.
Trump baselessly claimed via Truth Social that Zelenskyy's approval rating stands at 4% – a figure contradicted by recent Kyiv International Institute of Sociology polls showing 64% public support. Ukraine's constitution explicitly prohibits elections under martial law, enacted after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion.
'If you'd told me this was the U.S. president speaking, I would have laughed,' said Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's security council deputy chair. 'Trump is 200% right – Zelenskyy's a bankrupt clown.'
The White House backlash comes as Moscow intensifies efforts to:
- Frame Zelenskyy as illegitimate
- Undermine NATO expansion discussions
- Promote immediate ceasefire demands
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump as 'the only Western leader' acknowledging NATO's role in triggering the conflict – a key Kremlin talking point since 2014. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials presented intercepted communications allegedly proving Russian operatives amplified election criticism through U.S. media channels.
European allies rallied behind Kyiv on Thursday.
'Suspending elections during war preserves democracy,' British PM Keir Starmer affirmed, referencing WWII-era precedents. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that challenging Zelenskyy's legitimacy risks rewarding Putin's aggression.
With U.S.-Ukraine relations at their lowest since invasion began, analysts warn the disinformation campaign could impact future military aid packages and peace deal frameworks. The Pentagon confirms intelligence briefings about Russian troll farms targeting key swing states ahead of November elections.
