Donald Trump has come down heavily on Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian President accused Trump of living in a “disinformation bubble.”
In a fiery post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump dismissed Zelensky as a “modestly successful comedian” who persuaded the United States to spend $350 billion on an unwinnable war.
Trump doubled down on his claim that Ukraine, not Russia, started the ongoing conflict, arguing that the war never had to happen but that Zelenskyy manipulated the U.S. into intervening.
“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” he wrote.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2025
His comments came in response to a press conference in Kyiv, where Zelenskyy accused the United States of helping Russian President Vladimir Putin “come out of isolation.”
The Ukrainian leader also pushed back against Trump’s claim that his approval rating was as low as four percent, saying, “Unfortunately, President Trump, with all due respect for him as the leader of a nation that we respect greatly … is living in this disinformation bubble.”
Trump Hits Back
The US President, however, continued his attacks, criticizing both Zelensky and his predecessor, Joe Biden, for their handling of the war.
“The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back,” Trump wrote, questioning why Biden did not demand equal financial contributions from European nations despite the war’s greater significance for them.
Trump further slammed Zelensky over Ukraine’s decision to delay elections due to martial law, branding him a “dictator without elections.” He warned, “Zelensky better move fast, or he is not going to have a country left.”
Trump also accused Zelensky of mismanaging US aid, claiming that half of the money sent to Ukraine is “missing.” He argued that the war had needlessly devastated Ukraine, leading to millions of unnecessary deaths.
“I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…..” he wrote.
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The latest exchange of accusations marks a sharp deterioration in relations between Trump and Zelensky, whose countries were close allies under Biden. The Biden administration played a critical role in providing military and financial support to Ukraine, rallying Western allies to isolate Russia on the global stage. However, Trump’s recent comments signal a dramatic shift in US policy toward Ukraine, contradicting the stance taken by the Biden administration.
Trump has previously expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring to him as a “strong leader” and “very smart” in the context of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Putin, for his part, recently stated his willingness to meet with Trump, saying, “I would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results.” He acknowledged that a settlement to the war in Ukraine might take longer than initially expected.
Trump has continued to position himself as the only leader capable of negotiating peace with Russia.
“In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only ‘TRUMP,’ and the Trump Administration, can do,” he claimed.
This latest escalation in rhetoric underscores the shifting narrative surrounding the Ukraine war nearly three years after the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Under Biden, Zelensky was hailed as a heroic wartime leader, but Trump has aggressively sought to reframe the conflict, portraying Ukraine not as a victim but as a manipulator of U.S. interests
