Former US President Donald Trump has accused Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky of being “in the pocket” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming that Moscow was effectively governing Ukraine.
Trump made the comments during a visit to the southern state of Texas, where he attacked Zelensky and claimed he had low popularity ratings among the Ukrainian electorate.
The US and Russia have been holding talks on the conflict in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2014. Trump’s comments are likely to be seen as an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of those negotiations and to align himself with Putin’s position on the conflict.
Ukraine will be concerned by the prospect of Russia-US talks continuing without its direct involvement. The US Vice-President, JD Vance, said that “nothing is off the negotiating table” in reference to the ongoing talks between Russia and the US, but Ukraine remains excluded from these discussions.
Trump’s comments have been met with criticism from many quarters, including some of his own Republican colleagues who have expressed concerns about his actions and their potential impact on global politics.
