Donald Trump’s ludicrous claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator was one “of the most shameful remarks ever made by a US president”, critics have blasted.
Mr Trump was accused of repeating Kremlin propaganda as he claimed Ukraine started with the war with Russia.
He claimed the Ukrainian leader had done a “terrible job”, adding that Mr Zelensky needed to “move fast or he is not going to have a country left”.
But the comments have provoked a furious backlash, with politicians and military experts warning of “dangerous days” as Mr Trump’s apparent ties to Vladimir Putin could encourage the Russian dictator to attack a NATO country – triggering World War 3.
Lord Dannatt, a former head of the British Army, warned: “Trump and Putin are trying to bully Zelensky into having an election in order to install a pro-Moscow president.”
John Bolton, Mr Trump’s former national security adviser, said: “Trump’s characterisations of Zelensky and Ukraine are some of the most shameful remarks ever made by a US president.
“Our support of Ukraine has never been about charity, our way of life at home depends on our strength abroad.”
In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of playing former US president Joe Biden “like a fiddle”.
“He refuses to have rlections, is very low in Ukrainian polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle’,” said Mr Trump.
“A dictator without elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.
“In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia, something all admit only ‘Trump’, and the Trump administration, can do.”
Mr Trump also said Europe “has failed to bring peace”.
Starmer should get on with it, get on a plane to Washington and show some leadership. We cannot afford to get this wrong.”
Mr Zelensky accused the US president of being “trapped” in a Russian “disinformation bubble” after the billionaire suggested Ukraine was to blame for Moscow’s invasion of the country.
The Ukrainian president also said he would not “sell” his nation following talks between Russia and the US to broker a peace deal without Ukraine present.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson, an ardent supporter of Kyiv, called on Europe to “get serious” about supporting the war-torn country amid two crisis meetings this week in Paris.
He was responding to Mr Trump’s claims that Ukraine started the war and it should hold an election because Mr Zelensky’s approval rating stands at 4%.
Mr Johnson said: “When are we Europeans going to stop being scandalised about Donald Trump and start helping him to end this war? Of course Ukraine didn’t start the war.
his Florida resort were “pure Disney in both sort of facts and reality”.
He added: “I know Mar-a-Lago is quite close to Disney World, but that was pure Disney in both sort of facts and reality.
“I think the Kremlin have been pretty happy since day one. If the White House is repeating those sort of propaganda lines that, you know, Ukraine started the war, etc, then of course they’ll be really happy that people are rewriting history.
