In a bold move, former President Donald Trump launched a fierce critique of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a speech in Miami.
Trump, who was headlining the FII Priority Summit on Wednesday, did not hold back, calling Zelensky a “dictator” and a “comedian” who had led his country into ruin.
His remarks echoed sentiments he had expressed online earlier, stirring up a storm in Washington.
A Criticism of Zelensky’s Leadership
Trump’s sharp comments focused on Zelensky’s leadership in the midst of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
He questioned how Zelensky could continue to claim success while entire cities in Ukraine are being destroyed.
“How can you be high when every city is being demolished?” Trump asked, wondering how the Ukrainian leader could survive the elections Trump has called for in a country ravaged by war.
The former president also stated that Zelensky’s main skill seemed to be manipulating U.S. President Joe Biden, calling him “good at playing Joe Biden like a fiddle.”
He warned that Zelensky, in his role as a “dictator without elections,” needed to act fast or risk losing his country entirely.
Rising Tensions Between Trump and Zelensky
Trump’s comments came shortly after another controversial moment.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had met with his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia, signaling a shift toward normalizing relations between the U.S. and Russia.
Trump, who has spoken of meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, took this moment to voice his own view on the war, accusing Ukraine of starting it and aligning with Russian perspectives.
Later that day, Trump used social media to double down on his criticism, calling Zelensky a “modestly successful comedian” and blaming him for convincing the U.S. to pour billions into a war that Trump claimed was “unwinnable” and unnecessary.
Zelensky Fires Back
Zelensky quickly responded to Trump’s remarks, framing the ongoing conflict as a global choice between peace and supporting Russia. “The future is not with Putin, but with peace,” Zelensky said, urging leaders to stand for peace over Putin’s aggression.
Trump Shifts Focus to Election Interference
As the tensions with Ukraine grew, Trump also took the opportunity to downplay concerns over Russian interference in U.S. elections.
Speaking to the crowd in Miami, Trump mocked the way Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 election had been blown out of proportion.
He made a brief reference to USAID’s work, suggesting that U.S. taxpayer money might have been spent to influence elections in countries like India, though he provided no evidence to support his claim.
Trump seemed to be downplaying the seriousness of Russian interference, which had been investigated extensively in the U.S. and led to numerous indictments against Russian individuals and organizations.
Trump Talks Peace with Putin
In his ongoing push for a peace deal in Ukraine, Trump revealed that he had spoken with Vladimir Putin by phone.
While the details of any potential meeting between the two leaders remain unclear, Trump expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia for hosting the first U.S.-Russia talks this week.
The event was attended by key figures, including Saudi Ambassador Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, Elon Musk, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Kushner, who played a key role in strengthening U.S.-Saudi relations during Trump’s first term, was notably present at the summit, though he has remained out of government since then.
Trump’s comments and the developments at the summit further highlight the shifting dynamics in U.S. foreign policy, especially regarding Ukraine and Russia.
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