Ukrainian President Responds to President Trump's New Statement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 19 responded to US President Donald Trump's new statement on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Florida on February 18, President Trump blamed Kyiv for "starting" the Russia-Ukraine conflict and implied that President Zelensky was extremely unpopular, according to AFP.

Contrary to some polls that showed Mr Zelensky's approval rating in Ukraine never below 50%, Mr Trump said it was only 4%. Mr Trump also suggested that Ukraine should hold general elections, one of Russia's demands for a peace deal, according to AFP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in Kyiv (Ukraine) on February 19.

In response, President Zelensky said that Mr Trump's assertion that the Ukrainian leader's approval rating was only 4% was Russian disinformation and that any attempt to replace him would fail.

"We have evidence that these numbers are being discussed between the United States and Russia. That is, President Trump ... unfortunately lives in this bubble of disinformation," Zelensky told Ukrainian TV.

Less than a month after taking office, Mr. Trump reversed U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia. He ended efforts to isolate Russia with a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a dialogue between senior U.S. and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on February 18. The dialogue aimed to end the conflict in Ukraine but did not include Ukraine or Europe.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on February 19 praised President Trump for saying that previous US support for Ukraine's bid to join NATO was the main cause of the war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas said on February 19 that they did not understand why President Trump implied that President Zelenskiy was responsible for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ms. Primas also said that Mr. Trump had made a number of comments about Ukraine in the past few days without consulting European allies.

President Trump’s reversal of US policy has put Washington at odds with its allies in the 27-member European Union (EU). EU envoys agreed on February 19 on a 16th package of sanctions against Russia, including targeting ships believed to be carrying sanctioned Russian oil, according to Reuters.

There is no information yet on Russia's reaction to the new EU sanctions package.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tong-thong-ukraine-phan-phao-phat-ngon-moi-cua-tong-thong-trump-185250219210820163.htm