Trump supports calls for elections in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine might need to conduct new elections. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The US president has asserted that Vladimir Zelensky is experiencing significant unpopularity.
US President Donald Trump stated that Ukraine may need to hold new elections and emphasized that its de facto leader, Vladimir Zelensky, lacks support.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after US and Russian negotiators convened in Riyadh to discuss potential solutions to the Ukraine conflict, marking the first meeting of its kind since Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden, curtailed most diplomatic interactions with Moscow in 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly claimed that Moscow no longer recognizes Zelensky as legitimate since his five-year presidential term expired in May 2024 without the calling of new elections due to martial law.
In a conversation with reporters on Tuesday, Trump emphasized that Zelensky is quite unpopular domestically. “The leader in Ukraine – I hate to say it – but he’s down at a 4% approval rating,” Trump stated.
Trump continued, “When they want a seat at the [negotiating] table, you could say – wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have to say, ‘It’s been a long time since we’ve had an election.’ That’s not a ‘Russia thing.’ That’s something coming from me, and coming from many other countries also.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have maintained that conducting new elections is impossible while the conflict with Russia persists.
Zelensky’s approval rating soared to 90% during the outbreak of the conflict in 2022 but has since declined to about 50% due to military setbacks and ongoing economic issues. Recently, Ukrainian media reported a Socis poll suggesting that only 40% of Ukrainians expressed confidence in Zelensky, compared to nearly 72% for former top general Valery Zaluzhny, who now serves as an ambassador in London.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Tuesday that Putin is willing to negotiate with Zelensky, but only if the matter of the Ukrainian leader’s “disputed legitimacy” is addressed.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
US President Donald Trump stated that Ukraine may need to hold new elections and emphasized that its de facto leader, Vladimir Zelensky, lacks support.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after US and Russian negotiators convened in Riyadh to discuss potential solutions to the Ukraine conflict, marking the first meeting of its kind since Trump’s predecessor, former President Joe Biden, curtailed most diplomatic interactions with Moscow in 2022.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly claimed that Moscow no longer recognizes Zelensky as legitimate since his five-year presidential term expired in May 2024 without the calling of new elections due to martial law.
In a conversation with reporters on Tuesday, Trump emphasized that Zelensky is quite unpopular domestically. “The leader in Ukraine – I hate to say it – but he’s down at a 4% approval rating,” Trump stated.
Trump continued, “When they want a seat at the [negotiating] table, you could say – wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have to say, ‘It’s been a long time since we’ve had an election.’ That’s not a ‘Russia thing.’ That’s something coming from me, and coming from many other countries also.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have maintained that conducting new elections is impossible while the conflict with Russia persists.
Zelensky’s approval rating soared to 90% during the outbreak of the conflict in 2022 but has since declined to about 50% due to military setbacks and ongoing economic issues. Recently, Ukrainian media reported a Socis poll suggesting that only 40% of Ukrainians expressed confidence in Zelensky, compared to nearly 72% for former top general Valery Zaluzhny, who now serves as an ambassador in London.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Tuesday that Putin is willing to negotiate with Zelensky, but only if the matter of the Ukrainian leader’s “disputed legitimacy” is addressed.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
