Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has pushed back against United States President, Donald Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that Ukraine bore responsibility for Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
Speaking on Wednesday, Zelensky argued that Trump was ensnared in Russian disinformation, urging his team to seek a clearer understanding of the situation.
A day after Trump claimed that Ukraine “should never have started” the conflict, Zelensky dismissed the assertion, emphasizing that the U.S. leader’s claim about his low approval rating was also part of a Russian misinformation campaign.
“We have evidence that these figures are being discussed between America and Russia. That is, President Trump… unfortunately lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky said in an interview with Ukrainian television.
Trump’s foreign policy stance has drastically shifted U.S. engagement with Ukraine since he took office, signaling a departure from previous efforts to isolate Russia over its actions.
Within weeks of assuming the presidency, he initiated a direct conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading to high-level engagements between U.S. and Russian officials.
Russia’s sovereign wealth fund has since projected that several American businesses may return to the Russian market as early as the second quarter of 2025.
Exclusion from Peace Talks
Trump’s approach to resolving the Ukraine conflict has notably sidelined both Ukraine and European nations, instead calling on European powers to take greater responsibility in guaranteeing a ceasefire.
In response, Zelensky has proposed allowing U.S. companies access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources in exchange for security assurances from Washington.
However, he noted that Trump has not embraced this offer.
“Not Selling His Country”
Addressing reporters, Zelensky underscored that Ukraine had received $67 billion in military aid and $31.5 billion in budgetary support from the U.S. Still, he dismissed American expectations of $500 billion in minerals as unrealistic.
“This is not a serious conversation,” Zelensky stated. “I cannot sell my country.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kyiv for discussions, acknowledging the need for security guarantees.
“We understand the need for security guarantees,” he told journalists, adding that part of his mission was “to sit and listen.”
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, praised Trump’s remarks, particularly his suggestion that U.S. support for Ukraine’s NATO ambitions contributed to the war.
Trump’s stance has placed the U.S. at odds with its European allies, as the EU agreed on February 19 to impose a 16th round of sanctions on Russia, targeting aluminum exports and vessels suspected of transporting sanctioned Russian oil.
France, among other EU nations, expressed bewilderment at Trump’s claim that Ukraine was to blame for its own invasion, underscoring the growing divide in international perspectives on the war.
