Trump tells 'dictator' Zelenskyy to 'move fast' or lose Ukraine, claims half of US aid 'missing'

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “dictator” and warning that he must “move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticised the billions of dollars in US aid sent to Ukraine, accused Zelenskyy of mismanaging funds, and claimed that only his administration could negotiate an end to the war with Russia. He also suggested that Kyiv should have made concessions to Moscow before Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start,” Trump wrote.

He also alleged that Zelenskyy refused to hold elections and that “half of the money we sent him is ‘MISSING.’”

To be sure, Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 for a five-year term, and the next presidential elections were scheduled for spring 2024. However, Ukrainian law prohibits elections during a state of martial law.

The comments come as Trump’s administration, in its first month back in office, held its first high-level talks with Russian officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sidelining both Ukraine and NATO allies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met for four hours, discussing potential steps toward ending the war, including diplomatic normalisation between Washington and Moscow.

Trump, speaking to reporters from his Florida residence, appeared impatient with Ukraine’s concerns about being left out of the discussions.

“Today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you been there for three years. You should have ended it three years ago,” he said. “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”

The meeting in Riyadh marked the most extensive engagement between US and Russian officials since the war began. Both sides agreed to restore diplomatic staffing at their embassies in Moscow and Washington, as well as set up working groups to explore an end to the war. Lavrov, however, insisted that NATO troops would not be allowed in Ukraine under any agreement.

The exclusion of Ukraine from the negotiations has sparked concerns in Kyiv and among European allies. Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, have vowed not to accept any imposed settlement that compromises their sovereignty. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that “there must be no decision over the heads of Ukraine.”

Trump’s push for a rapid resolution has led to speculation that he may be willing to make concessions to Russia. Brett Bruen, a former Obama administration adviser, warned that “Trump has taken Russia from pariah to prize partner in the time span of just a few days. That comes at a price.”

When asked whether the US would lift sanctions imposed on Moscow under President Joe Biden, Rubio did not rule it out. “To bring an end to any conflict, there have to be concessions made by all sides,” he said. “We’re not going to predetermine what those are.”

Zelenskyy, who had planned to visit Saudi Arabia, postponed the trip, with reports suggesting he wanted to avoid giving legitimacy to the US-Russia negotiations.