As Trump questions Zelenskyy’s legitimacy, the Ukrainian leader defends his standing, citing credible polls. The U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh bring no relief for Kyiv, which faces yet another wave of Russian missile strikes.
BY PC Bureau
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for fresh presidential elections in Ukraine, a demand made following historic U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia—talks to which Kyiv was not invited.
The discussions in Riyadh, which the U.S. State Department described as an “important step forward” in ending Russia’s three-year invasion, concluded on Tuesday. Shortly after, Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that Zelenskyy’s approval rating had fallen to “4%,” though he provided no source for the claim. Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly sought to portray Zelenskyy as illegitimate, citing the postponement of Ukraine’s 2024 presidential elections due to martial law.
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During a Wednesday press conference in Kyiv, Zelenskyy dismissed Trump’s remarks, citing respected polls that place his approval rating above 50%. He accused Trump of spreading Russian disinformation.
“If someone wants to replace me right now, it won’t work,” Zelenskyy said. “We’ve seen this disinformation before, we know it comes from Russia, and we have evidence.”
Zelenskyy suggested conducting opinion polls to gauge trust in global leaders, including Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
He maintained a calm stance on Trump’s comments. “With all due respect to President Trump, who represents the American people and whose support we deeply appreciate, he is unfortunately living in a space dominated by disinformation,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump Calls Zelenskyy a ‘Dictator Without Elections’
Unfazed, Trump escalated his rhetoric on Truth Social, branding Zelenskyy a “Dictator without Elections” and warning, “He better move fast, or he won’t have a country left.”
Russia Strikes Ukraine Hours After Riyadh Talks
Mere hours after the U.S.-Russia talks ended with a commitment to continue discussions, Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force reported 167 drones and two Iskander ballistic missiles targeting multiple cities. While 106 drones were intercepted and 56 others failed mid-flight, several strikes caused significant damage.
Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov described a “massive enemy strike” on a densely populated area, leading to widespread electricity, heating, and water outages.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2025
Zelenskyy condemned the assault, stating on social media that Russia had once again targeted “civilian energy facilities” despite previously denying such tactics.
“After the meeting in Riyadh, Russian officials claimed they do not target Ukraine’s energy sector,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Yet, almost simultaneously, they launched another attack, striking electrical transformers. And this is during winter—temperatures were minus 6 degrees Celsius last night.”
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The Ukrainian president warned against trusting Moscow: “Russia is ruled by pathological liars—they cannot be trusted and must be pressured.”
Trump on Ukraine’s Exclusion: ‘They’ve Had a Seat for Three Years’
Ukraine’s absence from the Saudi talks has unsettled Kyiv and its European allies. However, Trump dismissed concerns, insisting Ukraine has had ample opportunity to negotiate peace.
“They’ve had a seat for three years and long before that,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago, implying Ukraine should have settled with Russia earlier. He reiterated his claim that he alone could “end this war” while falsely suggesting Ukraine had initiated the conflict.
The war began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion, following years of aggression in Crimea and the Donbas region.
Trump remained defiant. “I think it’s going very well,” he said about efforts to end the war. “But today, I hear, ‘Well, we weren’t invited.’ You’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it three years ago—you should have never started it.”
