By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukraine has reacted angrily and in disbelief to U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is “a dictator with only four percent public support.”
Instead of weakening Zelenskyy, Trump’s comments appeared to have strengthened his position at home, with both supporters and critics rallying behind the Ukrainian leader, critics say.
“Ukraine is a sovereign state, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is its legitimate president until a new one is elected. Only Ukrainians have the right to decide when and under what conditions they change their government,” former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in a statement.
Tymoshenko, a leading opposition figure, also dismissed Trump’s suggestion that Ukraine should hold elections despite the ongoing war. “Elections in wartime are impossible and immoral because our soldiers cannot participate. Without them, elections would never be legitimate. Launching a political campaign now would tear the country apart when we need unity and stability more than ever,” she stressed.
Zelenskyy’s foes and friends alike have condemned Trump’s remarks. “We may like or dislike Zelenskyy, we may praise or criticize him, but he is OUR president,” Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov wrote on social media. “No liar in Moscow or Washington has the right to attack him.”
Election officials in Ukraine have also pushed back on Trump’s claim that Zelenskyy is a dictator. “We are already preparing for the first elections after the war. But security is essential,” said Olga Aivazovska, a senior official at Ukraine’s election watchdog.
Trump also alleged that the U.S. has shouldered 90 percent of the financial burden of supporting Ukraine, but data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy contradicts this. Of the roughly $278 billion in aid Ukraine has received, Europe contributed $138 billion, while the U.S. provided nearly $120 billion, according to investigators.
UNITED NATIONS CONCERNED
Elsewhere, Washington is raising eyebrows at the United Nations by refusing to back a resolution condemning Russian aggression and reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty, diplomats said. Officials said Thursday that the resolution has the support of 50 countries and is seen as a test of international backing for Ukraine.
“In previous years, the U.S. has consistently supported such resolutions for a just peace in Ukraine,” a diplomatic source told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The shift comes as Trump has openly criticized U.S. military aid to Kyiv and other foreign assistance.
As discussions continue on securing Ukraine’s future, leaked details about a proposed international peacekeeping force have raised concerns among military experts, Worthy News learned.
Sources said the force, reportedly led by Britain and France, would consist of around 30,000 troops, relying heavily on air power rather than direct deployment along the front lines.
In the Netherlands, one of the other countries debating such a mission, Ukraine expert Bob Deen warned that the proposed force might not be sufficient, depending on the scope of its mandate and the responses of Russia and the U.S. “What happens if Russian air defenses target incoming aircraft? Or if a Russian convoy moves toward the front line—do you attack?” Deen wondered.
He stressed that for the mission to succeed, it is crucial that Russia does not oppose it and that the U.S. is willing to provide military backing if needed. “So far, those guarantees remain unclear,” added the expert of Clingendael – the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, a think tank and academy.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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