Kiev [Ukraine] / Moscow [Russia], February 20: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused US President Donald Trump of "living in a disinformation space" created by Russia, as tensions between Kiev and Washington escalate.
His pointed remark, made at a press conference on Wednesday, came a day after Trump falsely blamed Ukraine for Russia's invasion and suggested Zelensky could have already ended the war if he had wanted to.
Trump also implied that Zelensky should be removed from power, echoing a Kremlin narrative that seeks to undermine the Ukrainian leader's legitimacy.
"If someone wants to replace me right now, then it won't work," Zelensky said, citing approval ratings above 50% in opinion polls.
The comments follow reports that Russia and the United States discussed the possibility of elections in Ukraine during high-level talks in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had exchanged views on the matter but added that the decision "cannot be made in Moscow or Washington."
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia's full-scale invasion, postponing presidential and parliamentary elections and restricting political activity.
Many in Ukraine believe that holding elections amid ongoing conflict would be impractical and unfair, as it would be difficult to ensure the participation of soldiers and displaced civilians.
However, for Moscow, pushing the narrative of elections could be a way to delegitimize Zelensky and sway Trump's administration into minimizing his role in any future peace negotiations.
In New York, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the United Nations does not consider Zelensky to be an illegitimate head of state.
President Zelensky is in office "after duly held elections," Dujarric explained in response to a reporter's question.
Trump has recently taken positions aligning with Russia's stance on ending the war, including ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine and dismissing the possibility of returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders.
In a sign that Washington is ready to end Moscow's isolation from the West, Trump has said he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon.
Meanwhile, US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg was in Kiev for talks on Wednesday. He said his visit aimed to assess the situation and understand Ukraine's security needs.
"We understand the need for security guarantees," Kellogg stated in his first public remarks while in Kiev, referring to the protections being sought by Ukraine to prevent further Russian hostilities.
Kellogg, in an apparent nod to Trump's incendiary comments on Tuesday, portrayed his boss as eager to end the war because of the toll it is taking on Ukrainians.
"He understands the human suffering, he understands the damage," Kellogg said.
As of this coming Monday, Ukraine will have been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for three years with the help of Western military aid.
As part of its defensive efforts, Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian supply lines and oil facilities in an attempt to weaken Moscow's war machine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced new military successes in St Petersburg against the backdrop of possible talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
The Russian army is advancing on the entire front, he said during a visit to a drone factory.
Source: Qatar Tribune