Here is what the US President posted on his social media platform, Truth Social:
He wrote: “Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the US and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle.
“The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.
“Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation. On top of this, Zelensky admits that half of the money we sent him is ‘MISSING.’
“He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle.’
“A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left. In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only ‘TRUMP,’ and the Trump Administration, can do. Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelensky probably wants to keep the ‘gravy train’ going.
“I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…”.
Mr Zelensky’s first five year term in office was due to end in May 2024, but under martial, declared in the wake of Russia‘s full scale invasion, elections can’t be held.
The Ukrainian president has pledged to hold elections after the war. He won the 2019 election on 73% of the vote in an election described as “competitive” and with “fundamental freedoms” respected, according to the OSCE.
Official polling on Mr Zelensky’s popularity with Ukrainians is hard to do because of the war. A survey carried out this month found 57% of Ukrainians said they trust their president. This is down from 77% in 2023 and 90% in 2022.
Mr Trump’s claim Ukraine started the war is false as Russia launched a full scale invasion in February 2022 after illegally annexing Crimea in 2014.
Moscow’s seizure of Crimea came after popular uprisings saw the ousting of Ukraine‘s pro-Putin president.
Mr Zelensky said on Wednesday that the US has provided his country with $100bn in aid. Ukraine‘s war costs total $320bn, with the US and EU sending $200bn of that sum, according to Ukraine‘s president.