“Did I say that? I can’t believe I would say that,” Trump told reporters during a briefing with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House, when asked whether he still considers Zelenskyy a dictator.
Trump had labeled Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections” on Feb. 19, accusing the Ukrainian leader of avoiding polls and echoing Russian allegations that Zelenskyy is not legitimate.
Under Ukraine’s constitution, elections cannot take place during martial law, which has been in force since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Asked whether he regards Russian President Vladimir Putin as a dictator, Trump declined to use the same wording.
“I don’t use those words lightly,” he said on February 24. “I think we’re going to see how it all works out.”
(jh)
Source: Kyiv Independent, Forbes