Former President Donald Trump didn’t hold back when he went after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, branding him a “Dictator without Elections” after Ukraine found itself left out of diplomatic talks between the United States and Russia.
Trump, never one to mince words, fired off a lengthy Truth Social post, kicking things off by reminding the world that Zelensky wasn’t always a wartime leader—he was a “modestly successful comedian.”
“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, 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 US and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” Trump wrote.
He then took aim at the financial burden placed on the US, arguing that America has been footing Europe’s war bill while getting nothing in return:
“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. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation.”
Trump also pointed out Zelensky’s political troubles, alleging that Ukraine’s leader is unpopular at home and isn’t exactly a champion of democracy.
“Zelensky refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’”
Then came the heavy-hitting line:
“A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
Of course, Trump also took the opportunity to tout his team’s role in negotiating an end to the war—something he suggests Biden never even attempted.
“Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelensky probably wants to keep the ‘gravy train’ going. I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died.”
The US-Russia Talks That Set This Off
So what exactly triggered Zelensky’s outrage? The US and Russia held diplomatic meetings in Saudi Arabia—without inviting Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the war’s endgame.
And as the New York Times’ Kyiv Bureau Chief Andrew Kramer put it, Zelensky wasn’t thrilled:
“Decisions on how to end the war in Ukraine cannot be made without Ukraine, nor can any conditions be imposed,” From Turkey, where he had been on a scheduled Middle Eastern visit, Mr. Zelensky spoke. “We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us, I think for many others as well.”
In what appeared to be a very deliberate snub, Zelensky even postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia as a form of protest against the talks.
“We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don’t want any coincidences, so I’m not going to Saudi Arabia,” Zelensky remarked following a conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
By “coincidences,” Zelensky was making it clear that he didn’t want his trip to look like an endorsement of the US-Russia negotiations happening without him.
“The Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia came as a surprise to us, just as it did to many others. Yes, we saw the media coverage, but I don’t know who will stay, who will leave, or where anyone is going. To be honest, I don’t really care. What matters to me is that our partners take time to think about us,” he said.
He doubled down on the idea that any negotiations about Ukraine must include Ukraine:
“Any country has a bilateral track with other countries. Please, you can discuss anything, but you can’t make a decision on how to end the war in Ukraine without Ukraine.”
To reinforce his position, Zelensky rescheduled his trip to Riyadh for March 10—but only after getting the green light from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Meanwhile, Reuters sources suggested that Zelensky’s real concern was legitimizing the US-Russia talks, with one insider noting:
“He didn’t want to appear to give anything that happened in Riyadh any legitimacy.”
Why Trump Has the Right To Be Hard On Zelensky For Being a Dictator
Zelensky didn’t just cancel elections, he dissolved opposition political parties. He shut down news networks that were not favorable to him and consolidated other networks to make it easier to control them. Zelensky banned a “Russia-linked” church, Ukraine’s largest church. It would be the equivalent of the US banning Ukrainian Orthodox churches across America.
And then there was Trump’s first fake impeachment. The Democrats impeached Trump for things he did not say during a phone call with the Ukrainian president. They said Trump threatened to withhold aid money to Ukraine unless Zelensky agreed to give him dirt on the Biden crime family operating in Ukraine. The transcript of the phone call was released and none of what the Democrats impeached Trump over were found in the transcripts.
Here’s the rub: Zelensky knew that Trump never said any of the things the Democrats accused him of saying. He knew that Joe Biden grifted off the corruption in Ukraine under his predecessor President Petrov Poroshenko. Zelensky knew that Trump did not threaten to withhold any money from him he knew that the entire impeachment was a political hit job of law fair against the American President, and yet he never officially uttered a word. To have the Ukrainian president come out and claim that the impeachment articles were bogus because nothing of the sort happened would have gone a long way to save the American people a constitutional crisis and a heck of a lot of taxpayer dollars to push through a phony impeachment against President Trump. So you’ll have to forgive him if Trump doesn’t trust the dictator of Ukraine.
Remember, everything that Trump does from the beginning of a discussion is a negotiation. I would bet dollars to donuts that Trump referring to Zelensky as a dictator is a move where he is trying to get Zelensky to come to the table over ending the war with guarantees he will treat his people as if he lives in a democratic country.
Erdogan’s Take: Trump’s Plan Is Worth Considering
In a bit of an awkward moment for Zelensky, his host—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan—publicly backed Trump’s efforts to resolve the war.
“There is a diplomatic initiative led by Mr. Trump aimed at ending the war swiftly through negotiations. This approach aligns with the policy Turkey has been pursuing for the past three years,” Erdogan said.
He also suggested Turkey could host another round of peace talks with the US, Russia, and Ukraine at the table.
How Did the US-Russia Talks Go?
Back in Riyadh, the meeting between Rubio and Lavrov seemed to go better than expected. While the exact details of the negotiations remain under wraps, Lavrov came away from the talks feeling optimistic:
“We weren’t just listening to each other, but we heard each other. I have reason to believe that the American side started to better understand our positions.”
The Crown Prince, despite not participating in the discussions himself, earned international praise for setting the stage.
The Bottom Line
Trump’s latest remarks once again highlight the deep divides over Ukraine’s role in its own war, the growing tensions between the US and Europe over funding the conflict, and the possibility that Trump may actually pull off a negotiated peace deal—something Biden never even tried.
As for Zelensky, he’s finding himself in a tough spot. He’s been cut out of key negotiations, snubbed by major players, and is watching as even longtime allies like Erdogan start looking toward alternative solutions—including Trump’s.
And with Trump calling him a “Dictator without Elections”, things aren’t looking any easier for him.
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