Trump: Zelensky is a 'Dictator Without Elections' and Must Act Faster

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, harshly criticized Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, calling him a 'dictator' who will lose his country if he does not act quickly. In his strongest criticism of Zelensky to date, Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Wednesday, February 20: 'A dictator without elections, Zelensky better act faster, or there will be no country left for him.' The Ukrainian constitution prohibits elections under martial law, which has been in effect since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 and continues to be extended. Zelensky's five-year term was supposed to end in May 2024 after elections in March. Vladimir Putin had previously stated that he would not negotiate with Zelensky because he would have no authority to sign a peace agreement after that date. Trump continued, writing: 'Zelensky probably wants the 'train of easy money' to continue,' apparently referring to Western financial support for Ukraine. He added: 'I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job. His country is destroyed, and millions have been killed for no reason.' Trump's remarks came just hours after Zelensky expressed his concerns about negotiations between the U.S. and Russia in Saudi Arabia regarding ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing for nearly three years. Zelensky stated at a press conference in Kyiv that the high-level negotiations held yesterday in Riyadh, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, aimed to pull Vladimir Putin out of isolation and could create changes in the geopolitical balance that would impact Ukraine's security. Putin called the U.S.-Russia negotiations a 'first step' in restoring relations, adding: 'The United States helped Putin escape years of isolation... Putin and the Russians are very happy about this.' He also said: 'Yesterday it was implied that Russia is a victim, which is a new issue.' A day earlier, Trump implicitly blamed Zelensky for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and expressed surprise at Zelensky's complaint about being excluded from U.S.-Russia negotiations to end the war. Trump stated: 'Today I heard it said, 'Why weren't we invited?' Well, you have been there for three years. You should never have started it. You could have made a deal.' However, Zelensky emphasized on Wednesday that he wants transparency and 'more truth' from the Trump administration. Zelensky: Saudi Arabia helped pull Putin out of isolation. Trump's latest message came just hours after Volodymyr Zelensky again expressed his concerns about negotiations between Washington and Moscow in Saudi Arabia regarding the war in Ukraine. Zelensky stated at a press conference in Kyiv that the recent high-level negotiations in Riyadh, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, were a step toward pulling Vladimir Putin out of isolation and could create a transformation in the geopolitical equations that would impact Ukraine's security. He stated: 'The United States helped Putin escape years of isolation. Putin and the Russians are very pleased about this.' He also said: 'Yesterday it was implied that Russia is a victim, which is a new issue.' In response to a question about Trump's request for compensation in exchange for U.S. financial aid, Zelensky said he is willing to negotiate access to Ukraine's mineral resources, but this discussion must come with serious security guarantees. He emphasized: 'Talking about the $500 billion in aid that Ukraine has received is not serious. I am the representative of Ukraine, and I cannot sell this country.'