KYIV, Ukraine — Recently, former President Donald Trump made remarks that have sparked considerable outrage in Ukraine, wrongly attributing the initiation of the conflict to the Ukrainian government. This war, which has persisted for nearly three years, has resulted in horrific losses for the Ukrainian population as they fend off a far larger Russian military force.
Trump labeled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “a dictator without elections” and asserted that his popularity is remarkably low. In response, Zelenskyy indicated that such misinformation is manufactured by Russia, noting that some of Trump’s comments align with the Kremlin’s own propaganda regarding the war.
Examining Trump’s claims reveals a stark contradiction with the facts. When he stated that Ukraine “should have never started it”, he failed to recognize that the conflict escalated when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to justify this aggression by claiming to protect Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine and opposing Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. However, the root of the conflict dates back to 2014 when Russia, perceiving Ukraine’s pivot towards the West as a threat, illegally annexed Crimea and began hosting a conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region that resulted in thousands of casualties.
Fast forward to 2022, the situation erupted further when Putin amassed troops on the Ukrainian border under the guise of military exercises, just before launching a widespread invasion. Contrary to Trump’s assertion that Ukraine is to blame, it is clear that the origins of this conflict are deeply rooted in Russia’s aggressive actions.
Trump’s comments regarding the lack of elections in Ukraine are also misleading. He suggested that Zelenskyy should hurry, or he might lose his country, ignoring the fact that Zelenskyy was democratically elected in 2019 and the next election was slated for spring 2024. Due to the ongoing martial law, a legal requirement prevents holding elections during times of war, which has kept Zelenskyy in power amid the conflict. Ukraine’s government has outlined various obstacles that make a fair electoral process impossible at this time including the displacement of millions of civilians and the need for combat forces, which total around 800,000, to remain in active duty without interruption.
Moreover, Trump’s assertion that Zelenskyy has a mere 4% approval rating is not backed by evidence. Current data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicates that Zelenskyy enjoys around 57% public trust. Zelenskyy pointed out that Trump’s misleading figures further propagate false narratives.
Trump also made exaggerated claims regarding the death toll in Ukraine, stating millions had perished. However, reputable estimates do not support such figures. President Zelenskyy mentioned that over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives since the large-scale invasion began, with tens of thousands of civilian casualties reported in occupied regions. Importantly, while estimates of Russian military losses vary, they have not reached the catastrophic levels that Trump implied.
The ongoing predicament in Ukraine, encompassing the grave humanitarian crisis and the brutal military conflict, deserves to be represented with accuracy and sensitivity—elements that are vital amid the chaos of misinformation.
