Zelenskiy says Trump is in disinformation bubble on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pushed back on Tuesday against former U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion that Ukraine was responsible for Russia’s 2022 invasion, accusing Trump of falling victim to Russian disinformation.

“President Trump … unfortunately lives in this disinformation space,” Zelenskiy said in a Ukrainian TV interview. He criticized Trump’s claim that Zelenskiy’s approval rating was just 4%, calling it another example of Russian propaganda.

Zelenskiy also addressed Trump’s policy shift on Ukraine, which has seen the U.S. abandon its previous stance of isolating Russia.

Trump’s recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and talks between senior officials from both nations excluded Ukraine and Europe from discussions on ending the war.

The Ukrainian leader dismissed Trump’s reported demand for $500 billion in mineral extraction rights in exchange for U.S. security guarantees, saying, “This is not a serious conversation. I cannot sell my country.”

Zelenskiy made the comments ahead of talks with U.S. Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, who said he was in Kyiv to listen and understand Ukraine’s security concerns.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised Trump for suggesting that Ukraine’s NATO ambitions had contributed to the war.

Trump’s stance contrasts with those of the European allies, who agreed on Wednesday to a new sanctions package targeting Russian aluminum and oil transportation.

France criticized Trump’s remarks, saying it could not understand the logic behind blaming Ukraine for Russia’s invasion.