Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday.
TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/POOL/AFP through Getty Pictures
conceal caption
toggle caption
TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/POOL/AFP through Getty Pictures
KYIV — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Wednesday that he desires the U.S. to cease utilizing disinformation when speaking about Russia’s conflict on Ukraine, after President Donald Trump accused Ukraine of beginning the conflict — a Kremlin speaking level.
“I would like to see more truth from the Trump team,” Zelenskyy instructed reporters in Kyiv, including that disinformation hurts Ukraine and is laying the groundwork to carry Russian President Vladimir Putin out of isolation.
Zelenskyy has spent months praising Trump and dealing cautiously to win him over. Wednesday’s remarks had been his most pointed since Trump took workplace final month.
The Ukrainian chief appeared exhausted however calm as he spoke to a small group of reporters within the presidential palace, which is sandbagged to guard from frequent Russian missile and drone assaults on the Ukrainian capital.
“This is not my first dialogue or battle,” he mentioned, “and I take it calmly.”
On Tuesday, Trump additionally claimed — with out citing proof — that Zelenskyy’s approval was 4%. A latest public opinion ballot by the Kyiv Worldwide Institute of Sociology confirmed that 57% of Ukrainians belief Zelenskyy, an approval ranking that’s larger than Trump’s, which is at the moment at 44%, in line with a brand new Reuters/Ipsos ballot.
“We’ve seen this disinformation, we understand it comes from Russia,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “Unfortunately, President Trump — and we have great respect for him as a leader of people we also respect very much — he lives in this disinformation space.”
In a Fact Social submit Wednesday morning, Trump warned that Zelenskyy “better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
Trump’s particular envoy to Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian authorities officers. Zelenskyy mentioned he desires Kellogg to carry Trump a sensible image of Ukraine, primarily based on info.
“I want him to look around, I want him to talk to people,” Zelenskyy mentioned in Wednesday’s press convention. “Do they trust their president? Do they trust Putin? Let [Kellogg] ask about Trump. I think this is important. Just go and talk to people.”
NPR Producer Hanna Palamarenko contributed to this report from Kyiv.
