President Donald Trump appeared to take a swipe at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by repeating his call for elections despite Ukraine’s wartime ban on them.
The comments come as Washington tries to broker a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
‘They haven’t had an election for a long time’ Trump told Politico. “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
It is not the first time that Trump has called on Ukraine to hold elections. In February, Trump sparked controversy when he called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” in a Truth Social post.
Putin calls Trump’s peace plan a ‘starting point’ as he warns Ukraine to withdraw or face ‘force’
US President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 23, 2025. (Al Drago/Reuters)
“He refuses to hold elections, is very low in Ukrainian polls and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle’. As a dictator without elections, Zelensky better act quickly or he will have no country left.” Trump wrote.
A few days after the post, Zelenskyy visited the White House, where he had an infamous clash with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The three men sparred over the war as Zelenskyy tried to portray it as a possible threat to the US, something Trump and Vance rejected.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vice President JD Vance responds at the White House on February 28, 2025. (Brian Snyder/File Photo/Reuters)
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On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that after speaking with European leaders, he was ready to present a peace proposal to the US
“We are very actively working on all components of possible steps towards ending the war. The Ukrainian and European components have now been further developed and we are ready to present them to our partners in the US. Together with the US side, we expect to quickly make the potential steps as feasible as possible.” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “We strive for real peace and remain in constant contact with the United States.”
Zelensky said the end of the war depended on Russia’s willingness to “take effective steps to stop the bloodshed.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a press conference in Kiev on February 26, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP via Getty Images)
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The peace deal is not the only issue on Zelensky’s plate. He is also facing turbulence on the home front following a recent political scandal. Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, resigned late last month after his home was raided by anti-corruption investigators. After Yermak’s resignation, Zelenskyy thanked him for “always presenting the Ukrainian position in the negotiation process exactly as it should be.”
