Zelensky unbowed by Trump
Bloomberg Balance of Power, Feb 20, 2025
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As they prepare to mark three years of full-scale war with Russia, Ukrainians are watching in shock and fury as their main ally turns its backon them and fulfils Vladimir Putin’s wildest dreams.
US President Donald Trump has brought Putin out of isolation, blamed Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the war, and signaled he wants a deal with Moscow over Kyiv’s head. Yesterday he went further, labeling Zelenskiy a “dictator.”
Trump’s parroting of Kremlin narratives and disinformation is so far rallying Ukrainiansbehind Zelenskiy. European leaders including Emmanuel Macron of France and Britain’s Keir Starmer called with their support. To German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, Trump’s comments were “like George Orwell, where truth becomes lies and lies become truth.”
Ukrainian citizens, opposition leaders and even the president’s critics condemned Trump’s calls for elections to take place, saying it’s impossible to hold a free and fair ballot in the midst of war.
True, Zelenskiy’s approval has declined from a peak of 90% in 2022, yet it rose to 57% this month as Trump weighed in. Once a sustainable peace is in place, Ukraine will ensure the democratic process — unlike in Russia, where Putin shut down free media, removed the opposition, and rigged elections to ensure his unchallenged rule for a quarter century.
In Kyiv, this week’s spectacle of direct US-Russia talks drew comparisons with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939 that divided eastern Europe into Soviet and Nazi German spheres of influence.
Even before any meeting with Putin, Trump has made major concessions, rejecting NATO membership for Ukraine, any prospect of regaining Russia-occupied territories, and ruling out US troops on the ground.
In his daily address to the nation yesterday, Zelenskiy reiterated that he won’t accept any deal cut behind Ukraine’s back.
Back in February 2022, Ukraine’s allies gave them three days to hold out. Now as then, Ukrainians show no sign they’re ready to give up. — Daryna Krasnolutska
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