Ukrainians are rallying around their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, after President Donald Trump launched a remarkable series of verbal and written attacks on their beleaguered leader.

Why It Matters

Days before the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine faces growing uncertainty as its once staunchest ally, the United States, appears increasingly divided on supporting Kyiv’s war effort.

Ukraine has relied on substantial U.S. military and financial aid to resist Russian forces, even as Moscow continues its slow territorial gains. However, Trump’s characterization of Zelensky as a “dictator” and his calls to end the conflict on terms favorable to Russia have sent shock waves through Ukraine.

What to Know

On Tuesday, Trump—without citing evidence—told reporters that Zelensky’s approval rating was “down at 4 percent” and suggested Ukraine should hold elections, despite martial law preventing them under the country’s constitution.

In response the following day, Zelensky publicly rebuked Trump for spreading what he described as Russian disinformation.

According to a recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 57 percent of Ukrainians trust Zelensky. An October 2024 poll published by the International Republican Institute found that 69 percent of Ukrainians approved of his actions.

Trump hit back Wednesday in a Truth Social post awash with falsehoods. He called Zelensky “A Dictator without Elections” and reiterated his assertion from the day before that the Ukrainian president was “very low” in the polls.

Elections are suspended under martial law in Ukraine, which has been extended in 90-day intervals by a vote in parliament since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, most recently until May 9.

Trump erroneously suggested that the U.S. had given $350 billion to Ukraine. It is closer to $183 billion, some of which ends up back in the U.S. to spend on restocking domestic weapon supplies.

The president also said “MILLIONS” had died. Most analyses put the total number of dead and injured at nearly one million.

On top of that, Trump described his Ukrainian counterpart as “a modestly successful comedian.” Zelensky was a popular household name before entering politics, thanks to a hugely successful career in television, even playing the president in a comedy show before life imitated art in 2019.

The U.S. president repeated many of these claims in a speech in Miami later on Wednesday.

Vice President JD Vance also weighed in. In an interview with the Daily Mail he said: “The idea that Zelensky is going to change the president’s mind by badmouthing him in public media…everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration.”

What People Are Saying

Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a Ukrainian lawmaker from the opposition party Holos said: “We may have different opinions about Zelensky, but only Ukrainian citizens have the right to judge his support…And to publicly criticize him too, because, in the end, he is our elected leader.”

Kateryna Karaush, a 25-year-old tech worker from Kyiv, said: “Yes, he’s not a perfect president, but he’s not a dictator…It feels like the whole world is against us.”

Larysa, a 52-year-old from the city of Kharkiv, who refused to give her last name because of security concerns, said: “We have a president whom we support. During war, we are united.”

Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, said: “Holding elections now would only benefit the Kremlin, further dividing Ukrainians and installing a new president who could sign a deal favorable to Moscow.”

Eugene Finkel, a professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University, told Newsweek: “Zelensky is not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. If anything, Trump’s attack has made him more popular and made the Ukrainian opposition to rally behind him.”

What Happens Next

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., on separate days next week, as NATO ponders how to deal with the prospect of U.S.-Russia peace negotiations that exclude Ukraine and its European allies.

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press