Trump calls Zelensky 'dictator,' warns of Ukraine's demise without elections

U.S. President Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, accusing him of refusing to have elections, and repeating false claims about the war in Ukraine.

"He refuses to have elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle,'" Trump wrote.

A Feb. 19 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) showed that 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelensky, a five-point increase since December.

Trump also called the Ukrainian president "a dictator without elections," saying that "Zelensky better move fast, or he won’t have a country left."

Kremlin propaganda has pushed the narrative that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader, relying on the premise that his first presidential term was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024.

But Trump's claim ignores the fact that Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. As a result, Zelensky's term has been extended, which constitutional lawyers argue is permitted under Ukrainian law.

Trump also referred to Zelensky as a "modestly successful comedian" and accused him of persuading the U.S. to spend $350 billion on Ukraine.

"The United States has spent $200 billion more than Europe, and Europe's money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back," the U.S. president claimed.

The comments came following Trump's claim that Kyiv has "essentially" agreed to a deal on $500 billion in Ukraine's natural resources in exchange for Washington's support.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a draft of the agreement to Zelensky on Feb. 12, but Ukraine refused to sign unless the document included clear security commitments.

Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated and contradicting claims about the value of assistance the U.S. has provided to Ukraine, most recently putting the figure at $350 billion.

Earlier on Feb. 19, Zelensky said Ukraine's wartime military costs had totaled $320 billion, with the U.S. and EU combined providing $200 billion of that sum in defense support.

"We, the people of Ukraine, (covered) $120 billion, the U.S. and the EU — $200 billion. We are talking about arms; this is a weapons package worth $320 billion," Zelensky said in Kyiv.

Trump's remarks follow his Feb. 18 statement that Ukraine "should hold new elections," appearing to blame Zelensky's leadership for the ongoing war.

He also claimed, without evidence, that Ukraine should hold elections due to Zelensky’s supposed "4% approval rating."

In response, Zelensky addressed the disinformation, saying Ukraine recognized it was coming from Russia. He further noted that the figures cited had been discussed between the U.S. and Russia.

His comments come amid growing concerns in Kyiv after U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia — without Ukraine — to discuss strategies for ending the war.

In reference to the Saudi Arabia talks, Zelensky said that the U.S. has effectively helped Russian President Vladimir Putin escape years of isolation.