Trump vs. Selenskyj: "Dictator" insults, mockery and an "unserious" offer

Oberhessische Presse Marburg Trump vs. Selenskyj: "Dictator" insults, mockery and an "unserious" offer Sven Christian Schulz • 2 hours • 4 minutes reading time The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj is furious. "The meeting between the USA and Russia in Saudi Arabia came as a complete surprise to us. We were not invited to the talks," he explained. Peace negotiations without Ukraine about Ukraine? That is anything but productive, the visibly frustrated president sharply rejected the USA's actions. The answer from Washington was not long in coming. "I heard today: Oh, we were not invited," Trump said mockingly in his Mar-a-Lago residence and grinned. Then he went on to say that Ukraine has been waging this war for three years now, that it should have ended long ago, and that it is the Ukrainians themselves to blame, since they started this war, the Republican falsely claimed. "You should never have started it," he said to Zelensky. "You could have made a deal," he added. After Trump took office, Zelensky tried to win over the US president by complimenting him on the fight for a just peace and a strong Ukraine. But ever since the businessman in the White House sent his finance minister to Kyiv with a draft economic agreement ready for signature, there has been an ice age. According to a report by the British "Telegraph", which was able to see the draft agreement, Trump wants to turn Ukraine into a veritable American economic colony. The agreement apparently goes far beyond control of all of Ukraine's critical minerals, even including ports and other infrastructure, oil and gas. The conditions are even tougher than those imposed on Germany and Japan by the victorious powers after their defeat in World War II, according to the paper. The difference is that Germany started the war and lost. Trump's demands are "frivolous," said Zelensky on Wednesday. He is ready for a serious document, and the official text of the treaty is still being worked on. Trump lives in Russia's "disinformation space," said Zelensky. But how is such a just peace possible? Trump: Zelensky is a "dictator without elections" In his residence, Trump also mocked Zelensky's allegedly low approval rating among the population and called for Ukrainian elections as part of a peace agreement. Later, on his Truth Social platform, he described Zelensky as a "dictator without elections." The Republican thus took up a whole series of Russian propaganda claims. Even after three years of war, polls show that more than half of Ukrainians continue to support Zelensky. There is also great concern that Russia could influence elections in Ukraine in order to install a Kremlin-friendly puppet government in Kiev. These are days when the phones in European capitals are ringing off the hook. More talks are being held between heads of state and government within days than ever before. After the Paris meeting of the major EU states on Monday, President Emmanuel Macron was in contact with Trump and Zelensky. His message to the USA: Russia must end its attacks and Ukraine must be provided with "strong and credible security guarantees". "This is the key to lasting peace." Macron held another high-level meeting with smaller EU states, Norway and Canada on Wednesday. Not present: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, known for disruptive fire and blockades when it comes to European support for Ukraine. His Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had previously described the summit as a meeting of "war supporters" at which "anti-Trump and frustrated European politicians are trying to prevent a peace agreement with Ukraine." EU considers special summit because of Trump's Ukraine policy Behind the scenes, talks are already underway about a possible special EU summit of all 27 heads of state and government in Brussels to agree on a final position on ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Such a summit is by no means ruled out, but there are currently no concrete plans, said a high-ranking EU diplomat. "EU Council President Antonio Costa is currently consulting with all heads of state and government in a systematic process on issues such as further EU aid for Ukraine and the design of concrete security guarantees." EU defense politician Hannah Neumann (Greens) reminds Trump's approach of the Afghanistan negotiations and warns of a similarly dramatic outcome.