US President Donald Trump has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that his approval rate has dropped to four percent. Trump claimed that Zelensky’s government has been uncooperative and that he had missed an opportunity to resolve the Ukraine crisis during his three years in office.
The US President also emphasized the need for free and fair elections in Ukraine and suggested that the country’s international partners, including the United States and Europe, should provide equal support to the country. He expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the use of funds allocated to Ukraine and called for a clear report on the distribution of these funds.
Trump’s comments were in response to Zelensky’s statement that the four percent approval rate was a result of Russian disinformation. Zelensky also claimed that the number of people who support him has actually increased to 57 percent, citing a recent survey.
Zelensky has been at the center of a diplomatic row, with the US and Russia holding separate talks in Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian President has refused to sign an agreement on the extraction of rare earth metals, citing a lack of security guarantees.
Experts believe that the US has decided to move forward with the crisis resolution without Zelensky’s involvement, who has been accused of being a “dictator without elections.” The US has called for free and fair elections in Ukraine and some experts predict that Zelensky may not be allowed to run in the next presidential election or may even lose in the second round.
Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor at the St. Petersburg State University, believes that Zelensky’s recent statements are a sign of a desperate defense and that he had hoped to maintain some level of support from the US administration after the Munich Security Conference.
The article also quotes other experts, including Malek Dudakov, who believes that the US is likely to support a more pliable Ukrainian leader and Andrei Restschikow, who notes that Zelensky’s actions have led to a loss of trust and support from the international community.