Kyiv, Ukraine – February 19, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of spreading disinformation after Trump falsely claimed that Ukraine started the war with Russia. This marks the most significant public disagreement between Kyiv and Washington since the full-scale war began nearly three years ago.
During a press briefing in Kyiv, Zelensky expressed his disappointment in Trump’s remarks but maintained respect for the American people.
“Unfortunately, President Trump – I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we have great respect for, the American people who always support us – unfortunately lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky stated.
He also reiterated Ukraine’s stance that any peace deal to end the conflict must include Kyiv’s involvement, following high-level talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh, from which Ukraine was excluded.
In his comments on Tuesday, Trump criticized Ukraine’s exclusion from the U.S.-Russia negotiations and falsely accused Kyiv of starting the war, echoing a Kremlin narrative.
“Today I heard, ‘Oh well, we weren’t invited. Well, you have been there for three years. You should’ve ended it after three years. You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal,” Trump said.
This statement aligns with Russian propaganda that blames Ukraine for the war, despite historical evidence showing that the conflict began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and supported pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed Trump’s remarks, stating that Trump is the first Western leader to publicly suggest that NATO’s eastward expansion was the cause of the conflict.
“No Western leader has actually said that before. So that is already a signal that he understands our position,” Lavrov told the Russian parliament.
Trump also questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy as President, incorrectly claiming that his approval rating was at 4%. In reality, a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology shows Zelensky’s approval rating at 57%, despite a decline from the early days of the war.
Zelensky countered by stating that the false 4% figure originates from Russian disinformation. He expressed concern about the dissemination of misleading narratives that undermine Ukraine’s leadership.
This exchange marks a notable strain in U.S.-Ukraine relations and highlights the geopolitical complexities of the ongoing war. It also underscores the influence of political narratives on international diplomacy.
As the war continues and diplomatic negotiations evolve, global attention remains focused on how U.S.-Ukraine relations and Russian diplomatic strategies will shape the future of the conflict.
Credit: CNN
