Zelenskyy Under Fire: Trump Alleges ‘Half the US Aid Missing’

Kyiv: Relations between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump soured within a snap on Wednesday, with Trump calling Zelenskyy a "modestly successful comedian" who persuaded the US to spend $350 billion on an unwinnable war that never should have begun.

Earlier on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space" and Trump called Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war.

Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s claims, asking his team to be "more truthful" after Trump falsely suggested Kyiv was to blame for the war, which marks its fourth year next week.

Trump Criticizes Zelenskyy as 'Modestly Successful Comedian'

Later on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy in a social media post, calling him “a modestly successful comedian” who “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.”

Trump goes on to say that the only thing Zelenskyy "was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’” He advised Zelenskyy to “move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”

"I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues.." Trump added.

Putin Expresses Interest in Meeting with Trump Amid Tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said, “I would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results,” 

He added that he would be “pleased” to meet Trump but noted that Trump has acknowledged that a Ukrainian settlement could take longer than he initially hoped.

Putin hailed Tuesday's talks between Russian and U.S. senior officials in the Saudi capital of Riyadh as “very positive.” He said officials who took part in the talks described the U.S. delegation to him as “completely different people who were open to the negotiation process without any bias, without any condemnation of what was done in the past,” and determined to work together with Moscow.

Also Read: Trump Calls Zelenskyy A Comedian & Swindler Asking Him to Quit

Putin staid that the focus of Tuesday's talks was to restore Russia-U.S. relations.

“Without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States, it is impossible to resolve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis. The goal of this meeting was precisely to increase trust between Russia and the United States,” Putin said.

He dismissed Zelenskyy's concerns about Ukraine being excluded from the U.S.-Russian talks, stating that Kyiv’s reaction was “unfounded.”

Zelenskyy Responds to Trump’s Comments Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Zelenskyy's comments on Wednesday came just before his scheduled meeting with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, as part of the administration's ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Ukraine and its European allies have expressed concern over being excluded from the recent talks between American and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia. There are growing fears that the deal being discussed could be disadvantageous to Kyiv.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Trump showed little sympathy for Ukraine’s objections to the exclusion, stating that Zelenskyy’s approval rating was at 4%, without citing a source. He also remarked that Ukraine "should have never started" the war and "could have made a deal" to avoid it.

In response, Zelenskyy addressed the comments at his own news conference on Wednesday, saying, "We have seen this disinformation. We understand that it is coming from Russia." He added that Trump "lives in this disinformation space."

Zelenskyy expressed hope that Kellogg would visit Kyiv and ask Ukrainians, "if they trust their president? Do they trust Putin? Let him ask about Trump, what they think after the statements made by their president."

Russian state TV and other state-controlled media responded gleefully, portraying Trump’s cold reception of Zelenskyy as a victory.

(with AP inputs)