German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked US President Donald Trump for questioning the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Chancellor Scholz denounced President Trump’s statements as “wrong and dangerous” following Trump’s labeling of Zelenskyy as “a dictator.”
The public disagreement escalated on Wednesday when Trump, on his Truth Social platform, referred to Zelenskyy as “a dictator without elections” and “a modestly successful comedian” who had misled Washington into funding “a war that couldn’t be won.” Trump further criticized Zelenskyy’s leadership, asserting he was performing “a terrible job” and warning that Ukraine would be left without a country unless he negotiated a ceasefire with Russia.
Zelenskyy’s five-year presidential term concluded in May 2024, but no new elections have been scheduled in Ukraine due to martial law. Last year, Zelenskyy stated that holding an election during the ongoing war and national mobilization was “not the right time.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly declared Zelenskyy to be an illegitimate head of state.
In an interview with Spiegel on Wednesday, Scholz criticized Trump, stating that “it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky his democratic legitimacy.”
“What is correct is that Vladimir Zelensky is the elected head of state of Ukraine,” the chancellor emphasized.
Other Western European officials also defended Zelenskyy, with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock calling Trump’s comments “absurd,” according to ZDF.
German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck similarly criticized Trump’s statement, describing it as “shocking.”
Trump’s remarks followed Zelenskyy’s response to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, where Zelenskyy said Trump was “living in a disinformation space” influenced by Moscow.
Trump previously claimed Zelenskyy’s approval rating was at 4% and suggested that an election should be held.
“He refuses to have elections. He’s low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?” the US president stated. He added that the US was “successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia.”
US and Russian officials held high-level talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. The 4.5-hour discussions centered on potential Ukraine peace talks and the possibility of a summit between Trump and Putin. Ukrainian and European representatives were excluded, leading to criticism from Kyiv and its EU allies, who contend that their interests are being disregarded in crucial negotiations affecting regional security.