U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred controversy once again by suggesting that Russia holds the upper hand in any potential peace talks to end the ongoing war in Ukraine. Speaking to the BBC while flying back to Washington, D.C., from a Saudi-backed investment conference in Florida, Trump asserted that Russia “have the cards” due to their territorial gains since launching their full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
Trump’s comments come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Ukraine following high-level U.S.-Russia discussions in Saudi Arabia talks from which Kyiv was notably excluded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly criticized the meeting, accusing Moscow of spreading falsehoods. Trump, in turn, lashed out at Zelensky, calling him a “dictator” for the second time in a single day.
The president questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy, stating, “He refuses to have elections. He’s low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?” He was referring to the suspension of elections in Ukraine due to martial law, which has been in place since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Trump also claimed that Zelensky’s approval rating was a mere 4%, a statement contradicted by polling data from BBC Verify, which found that 57% of Ukrainians still trust their president.
Trump’s remarks sparked strong reactions from European leaders, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemning his characterization of Zelensky. Scholz stated, “It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky his democratic legitimacy.”
In his interview, Trump appeared to place blame on Ukraine for the war, saying, “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.” This stance aligns with his previous statements that the conflict could have been prevented through negotiations, a claim widely dismissed by experts and policymakers who point out that Russia was the aggressor in the war.
Zelensky, responding to Trump’s claims, countered that the former U.S. president is “living in a disinformation space” controlled by Moscow. His criticism reportedly angered Trump, prompting the heated exchanges.
Trump’s assertion that Russia seeks peace has raised eyebrows, especially given continued Russian offensives and President Vladimir Putin’s unwavering rhetoric. While Trump’s position may resonate with his political base, it has further complicated U.S.-Ukraine relations at a crucial moment in the war.
As international pressure mounts, the diplomatic landscape remains fraught with uncertainty, and Trump’s remarks are likely to fuel further debate over the future of U.S. foreign policy on Ukraine.
