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President Donald Trump escalated his public feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, attacking him as a “dictator without elections” and accusing him of manipulating the U.S. into providing billions of dollars in aid.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Zelenskyy “talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion dollars” on a war that “never had to start” and “couldn’t be won.” He also falsely suggested that Ukraine’s leader had refused to hold elections and was unpopular among Ukrainians.
“He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle,’” Trump wrote. “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
Trump’s claim that the U.S. has sent $350 billion to Ukraine is an overstatement. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Congress has appropriated $175 billion in economic, humanitarian, and military aid, with $66 billion allocated specifically for security assistance.
Zelenskyy, who was elected with 73% of the vote in 2019, postponed Ukraine’s 2024 elections due to the ongoing war with Russia. A recent poll found that 57% of Ukrainians still trust him, though his approval has dipped due to the prolonged conflict.
Zelenskyy Accuses Trump of Echoing Russian Disinformation
Trump’s remarks came after Zelenskyy suggested that the former president was operating within a “disinformation space” influenced by Russia.
“We are seeing a lot of disinformation, and that is coming from Russia,” Zelenskyy said Wednesday. “Unfortunately, President Trump, with all due respect… is living in this disinformation space.”
The exchange follows Trump’s controversial suggestion earlier this week that Ukraine was to blame for the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, falsely claiming that Ukraine was controlled by “neo-Nazis” who posed a threat to Russia.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Russian officials recently met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential resolution to the conflict—without Ukrainian representatives at the table.
Republican Lawmakers Push Back
Trump’s comments drew swift, but subtle rebuke from some Republican senators and former Vice President Mike Pence.
“I would never refer to President Zelenskyy as a dictator,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
“Zelenskyy is not to blame for Russia’s invasion in any way,” added Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also rejected Trump’s framing, stating, “To suggest that anyone in Ukraine has responsibility for this war forgets the fact that Putin lied. He has lied every step of the way.”
Pence, once Trump’s second-in-command, also weighed in, sharing a Fox News article from the day of Russia’s invasion with the headline: “Russia Invades Ukraine in Largest European Attack Since WWII.”
“Mr. President, Ukraine did not ‘start’ this war,” Pence wrote. “Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The Road to Peace must be built on the Truth.”
Trump has long expressed skepticism toward U.S. support for Ukraine, previously suggesting that he could end the war within 24 hours if re-elected, though he has not outlined specific plans. His latest comments underscore an increasingly divisive debate within the Republican Party over continued aid to Ukraine as the war enters its third year.
