Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator'

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 27 that he could not believe he had called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator."

Trump made the comment at a briefing with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.

"Did I say that? I can't believe I would say that," Trump responded when asked whether he still considers Zelensky a "dictator."

Trump referred to Zelensky as a "dictator without elections" in a Truth Social post on Feb. 19, falsely accusing him of refusing to hold elections and repeating the Kremlin narrative about Zelensky's alleged illegitimacy.

Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

If martial law had not been imposed, Zelensky's term would have ended on May 20, 2024. Both Russia and some of Zelensky's domestic critics claim that he ceased to be a legitimate president on May 20.

Major Ukrainian constitutional lawyers and legal experts believe the claim is false and unfounded.

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

Asked about the potential longevity of a peace agreement with Russia, Trump expressed confidence that any deal his administration reaches would hold.

"I have confidence if we make a deal it's going to hold," he said, adding that securing Ukraine's long-term stability after a deal is reached would be "the easy part."

The Trump administration has disrupted years of U.S. foreign policy towards Russia. U.S. and Russian officials have resumed high-level bilateral talks, holding meetings in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and Istanbul on Feb. 27.

The U.S. president also said that he does not believe Putin would launch another invasion of Ukraine once a peace deal is reached.

When asked on Feb. 24 whether he considers Putin a dictator, Trump avoided the question, saying, "I don't use those words lightly... I think we're going to see how it all works out."

Elections have been routinely rigged in Russia, genuine opposition candidates have not been allowed to run, and the Kremlin's monopoly on television ensured that only government-backed candidates have air time.

In 2020, Russia held a rigged vote on constitutional amendments that eliminated limits on Putin's presidential terms, effectively making him dictator for life.

More than 20 opponents of Putin have been killed or died in mysterious circumstances.