The exchange of criticism between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his American counterpart Donald Trump intensified on Wednesday after Trump labeled the Ukrainian leader a "dictator."
"I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his country is devastated, and millions of people have died unnecessarily," Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.
"Zelensky better act quickly, or he will have no country left," he added.
Trump's harsh words were a response to Zelensky's earlier statement, where he claimed that the U.S. president lives in a "disinformation space" created by Russia. The Ukrainian president, in turn, reacted to Trump's remarks, which suggested that Zelensky's role as president is illegitimate due to the absence of elections in Ukraine.
The presidential elections in Ukraine were scheduled to take place in March-April 2024, marking the end of Zelensky's first five-year term. The voting was postponed as the country's constitution does not permit elections under martial law, which was declared on February 24, 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin has repeatedly attempted to use this delay to point out Zelensky's "illegitimacy." In Kyiv, this is dismissed, emphasizing that the situation remains within constitutional boundaries.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, the Ukrainian president stated that he is open to discussing elections in Ukraine, but his compatriots are hesitant due to fears that lifting martial law could weaken the country's defense.
"I am focused on the survival of our country. I have been doing this throughout my term," he said.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the most recent presidential elections were assessed by most international observers as neither free nor fair. Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a fifth term, with the Central Election Commission claiming he received 88% of the votes.
Putin's main opponent and critic, Alexei Navalny, died in prison a month before the elections, and only spoiler candidates were allowed to run alongside Putin.
After the announcement of the final election results, several independent groups of researchers discovered large-scale fraud. It was noted that the elections set a historical record for the level of falsifications in Russia.