‘He is Not Going to Have a Country Left’: Trump Dispute With Ukrainian President Zelensky Escalates Following U.S.-Russia Talks

Latest Developments

‘Disinformation Space’: A public feud between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, escalated on February 19, one day after American and Russian delegations met in Saudi Arabia for high-level talks that excluded both the democratically elected government in Kyiv and European powers. Trump reacted angrily to the Ukrainian complaints, claiming in remarks to reporters that Kyiv was responsible for provoking the February 2022 Russian invasion. Zelensky replied by accusing Trump of living in a Russian-made “disinformation space,” adding: “I would like to have more truth with the Trump team.” Trump’s February 19 post on his Truth Social channel then doubled down, portraying Zelensky as a “dictator without elections” and warning the Ukrainian leader that he had “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”
Putin ‘Pleased’ to Meet With Trump: The meeting in Riyadh between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and their official parties resulted in an agreement to appoint “high-level teams” to explore bringing the war in Ukraine to an end as well as laying “the groundwork for cooperation” on broader issues, according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. Following the talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he would be “pleased” to meet with Trump — with whom he held a phone call last week — underlining that he “would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results.” Putin also depicted the talks in Riyadh as focusing on the “restoration of U.S.-Russia relations.”
Russia Trying to Compel Elections in War-Ravaged Ukraine: Buoyed by Trump’s comments, Russian diplomats on February 19 questioned whether a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv was possible without elections in Ukraine — which, under the emergency laws that have been in force since the Russian invasion, are impossible and not legally required. “We believe that since (Zelensky’s) legitimacy has come to an end in May last year, he should have elections,” Andrei Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, told the BBC. Kelin added that Russia would not return territories forcibly occupied by its armed forces to Ukraine, saying, “Why should we? We have liberated these territories, upon which Russian people are living for centuries.” The European Union, meanwhile, is set to announce new sanctions against Moscow on February 24, targeting Russian aluminum, disconnecting more Russian banks from the SWIFT global payments system, and banning additional Russian outlets from broadcasting in Europe.

FDD Expert Response

“In my latest column for The Washington Times, I outline an approach that would be consistent with the goals President Trump and his key advisors have articulated. This approach would end Russia’s war against Ukraine, establish an economic partnership between Ukraine and the United States, and help Ukraine build the deterrent capabilities it lacked three years ago. This approach would not count as the total victory to which Kyiv is entitled, nor the ignominious defeat Moscow deserves. But it would be a reasonably good outcome — for Ukraine, for America, and for Trump 2.0.” — Clifford D. May, President

“Putin retains maximalist goals for his war in Ukraine. He aims to make Ukraine a vassal state and likely also hopes to use U.S.-Russia talks to rewrite the broader security order in Europe. Despite the high military and economic cost he’s paying, Putin seems to believe he is winning and has likely been emboldened by the recent shifts in U.S. policy and rhetoric. The administration’s diplomatic effort will have to overcome these factors if it is to deliver a peace deal that protects U.S. interests. To maximize its chances at a good deal, Washington needs to continue helping Ukrainian forces exhaust Russia’s offensive potential and protect their skies, tighten sanctions on Russian oil revenue, and work with allies and Kyiv to prepare credible, European-led security guarantees. Washington should also refrain from pushing Ukraine into premature elections, which would play into Russia’s hands.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

“Moscow is not interested in reaching a genuine compromise. Putin views these potential negotiations as a way to achieve his longstanding objective of subjugating Ukraine, replacing the U.S.-led world order with a multipolar one, and destroying NATO. While some in the West can cynically describe Russia as nothing more than a Third World dictatorship with nukes, the KGB-trained Putin thinks differently. In order to anticipate Putin’s next steps, Washington must understand how he thinks. The Trump administration should be prepared for Russia to intimidate Washington and its allies through covert operations against NATO that fall below the threshold of full-scale war. But Putin’s appetite will not stop at Ukraine. He wants to restore ‘Russia’s greatness’ and place the Baltic states under his control. Western intelligence has already warned about Russia’s potential use of active measures that include disinformation campaigns, sabotage, and assassinations. For Putin, any ceasefire may just be an interlude before another war.” — Ivana Stradner, Research Fellow