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By Daniel Orton
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Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky accused President Donald Trump of being influenced by Russian disinformation as a result of discussions the U.S. president was having with the Kremlin.
On Tuesday, Trump—without citing evidence—told reporters that Zelensky's approval rating was "down at 4 percent" and suggested Ukraine should hold elections, despite martial law preventing them under the country's constitution.
Newsweek has contacted the White House via email outside of working hours for comment.
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Why It Matters
Zelensky's remarks come amid a rapid shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump toward Russia as the war in Ukraine rages on.
On Tuesday, the U.S. and Russia held talks in Saudi Arabia where the two countries agreed to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties, and start peace talks to end the war. No Ukrainian officials were invited and the sudden thaw in relations between Washington and Moscow has alarmed European allies.
What To Know
In a Tuesday news conference, Trump suggested that Kyiv bore responsibility for the ongoing war, soon to enter its fourth year, and that Ukraine should hold elections.
"We have a situation where we haven't had elections in Ukraine," he said when asked if the U.S. would support Russia's reported demands that Kyiv go to the polls as part of a peace deal.
"Yeah, I would say that, you know, when they want a seat at the table you could say the people have to, wouldn't the people of Ukraine have to say, like, 'You know, it's been a long time since we've had an election,'" Trump said.
"That's not a Russia thing, that's something coming from me and many other countries also," he added.
Newsweek was unable to determine which other countries the president was speaking about.
Trump also claimed that Zelensky's approval rating stood at 4 percent, which the Ukrainian—who was elected to a five-year term in 2019—countered on Wednesday. He said he had a high approval rating, citing a survey that said 58 percent of the population had confidence in him, according to the BBC.
According to a recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 57 percent of Ukrainians trust Zelensky. And 69 percent of Ukrainians approve of his actions, according to an October 2024 poll published by the International Republican Institute.
"Since we are talking about 4 percent, we have seen this disinformation, we understand that it is coming from Russia," Zelensky said. "We understand this, and we have evidence that these numbers are being discussed between America and Russia."
"President Trump, with great respect for him as a leader of the people (...) unfortunately, lives in this disinformation space," Zelensky said in a news conference on Wednesday.
Trump hit back in a midmorning Truth Social post, in which he called Zelensky "A Dictator without Elections" and reiterated his assertion from the day before that the Ukrainian president was "very low" in the polls.
"I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy [sic] has done a terrible job," he added.
A presidential election in Ukraine was due by April 2024, but the country has been under martial law since Russia's invasion in February 2022, which means elections are suspended. Martial law has been extended in 90-day intervals by a vote in parliament since then, most recently until May 9.
The diplomatic spat between the two presidents came shortly before a scheduled meeting with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, who earlier this month told Reuters that elections in Ukraine "need to be done."
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: "I would like Trump's team to be more truthful. Because all of this certainly does not have a positive impact on Ukraine. But it does help bring [Russian President Vladimir] Putin out of isolation."
Keith Kellogg, U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told Reuters: "Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war," he said. "I think it is important they do so."
U.S. President Donald Trump said: "We are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only "TRUMP," and the Trump Administration, can do."
Newsweek spoke to Olga Onuch, a professor in Comparative and Ukrainian Politics at the University of Manchester, U.K., about Zelensky's chances for a second term if Ukraine held elections."[Zelensky] remains the most popular politician in Ukraine, and any suggestion otherwise is an attempt to manipulate facts on the ground," she said. "Suggesting that it is even remotely possible to hold an election when there hasn't been a cessation of violence, and that a peace has been reached—it's not possible to hold an election safely or even logistically."
What Happens Next
Kellogg has indicated he will report his findings back to Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the need to "get this one right."
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has called for a U.S. "backstop" in Ukraine to ensure a durable peace, is set to visit Trump next week.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press
Updates 2/19/2025, 9:33 a.m., 11:46 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and comment from Olga Onuch.
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