Donald Trump has made several misleading and false statements about Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to factcheckers. The US president claimed he could have ended the war had he been in charge, but did not trust Mr Zelenskyy. He also alleged that the Ukrainian leader has only a 4% approval rating and that the US has given $350bn in aid without proper accounting.
On the war’s origins, Mr Trump suggested Ukraine ‘should have ended it three years’ ago. In fact, Russia’s invasion on 24 February 2022 was unprovoked, and Mr Zelenskyy repeatedly offered talks before and after the attack. Ukraine and Russia held negotiations, but Moscow’s demands – including partial demilitarisation – were considered maximalist. The former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace described Mr Trump’s remarks as ‘straight out of the Kremlin talking points’.
Mr Trump’s claim that Mr Zelenskyy has a 4% approval rating is false. A February poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 57% of Ukrainians trust the president, up from 52% in December. Most Ukrainians and opposition politicians believe elections should not be held during wartime. MP Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said holding polls would mean ‘Putin’s victory the next day’.
On financial aid, Mr Trump said the US has given $350bn and that Europe contributed only $100bn. However, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy’s Ukraine Support Tracker shows that European countries and EU institutions have allocated €132.3bn ($137.9bn/£109.6bn) compared with €114.2bn from the US. Europe has also committed a further €115bn. The US remains the largest national donor, followed by Germany and the UK. In a pointed remark, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the US-Ukraine envoy that the EU has contributed ‘more than any other ally’.
