In a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago, U.S. President Donald Trump called for Ukraine to conduct new elections, suggesting that current President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership lacks legitimacy. Trump stated, “We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have martial law, essentially martial law in Ukraine.” He further claimed that calls for these elections are not influenced by Russia, emphasizing, “That’s not a Russia thing. That’s something coming from me and coming from many other countries also.”
Trump’s remarks come on the heels of high-level talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, from which Ukrainian representatives were notably absent. The exclusion has drawn criticism from Zelensky, who expressed surprise at Ukraine’s omission despite being the nation most affected by the ongoing conflict.
In his statements, Trump questioned Zelensky’s public support, alleging an approval rating of just 4%. However, recent polls, such as one conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, indicate that Zelensky’s approval rating stands at approximately 52%.
The Ukrainian presidential elections, originally scheduled for April 2024, were postponed due to the imposition of martial law following Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022. Zelensky has previously argued that holding elections during such a tumultuous period could lead to political divisions at a time when national unity is paramount.
Trump’s comments have sparked controversy, particularly his assertion that Ukraine bears responsibility for the ongoing war. He suggested that Ukrainian leadership could have prevented the conflict through negotiations, stating, “You’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it. Three years. You should have never started it.”
These developments highlight a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration, moving from a stance of isolating Moscow and supporting Kyiv to engaging directly with Russia. This approach has raised concerns among European allies and Ukrainian officials, who emphasize the importance of including Ukraine in any peace negotiations to ensure a fair and lasting resolution to the conflict.
