Zelensky Responds to Trump's 'Scapegoat' Accusation with Laughter
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered a brief, smiling response when asked if former President Donald Trump was using him as a scapegoat for domestic issues.
During a press conference in Brussels following meetings with European Union leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky drew laughter from the audience with his response to a question about Donald Trump. A journalist asked if Trump, facing midterm elections and other domestic challenges, was scapegoating Zelensky for his own problems.
After a pause, Zelensky smiled and stated, "This is my answer." The question came amid comments from Trump suggesting he found it easier to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin than with Zelensky.
Zelensky also addressed recent disruptions to Starlink satellite services in Ukraine, noting that while speed had not been fully restored, it was improving. He mentioned that the White House had contacted SpaceX to address the issue. Kyiv reported restrictions to the service, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, shortly after Trump criticized Ukraine's attacks on Russian oil refineries.
Ukraine utilizes SpaceX's Starshield, a military-grade satellite service, for battlefield communications and drone operations. Zelensky stated that the slowdown of Starlink impeded Ukrainian forces' ability to defend against Russian drones.
Zelensky indicated that Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators might meet soon to discuss issues, including Washington's recent deal with Russia to import diesel fuel. Both Zelensky and some U.S. senators have described the deal as beneficial to Russia, potentially funding its invasion of Ukraine. The waiver allows Moscow to supply diesel to global markets to help ease fuel prices ahead of U.S. midterm elections.
Earlier, Trump had called Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries a "disgrace," arguing they contributed to rising global energy prices. He also suggested Zelensky was responsible for the war and had "destroyed" Ukraine. Trump further commented that he was not a fan of Zelensky and found him more difficult to deal with than Putin.
In response to Trump's criticism of the strikes and the U.S. deal with Russia, Zelensky had stated it was "time for Ukraine to get a new president." Zelensky also criticized Trump's apparent admiration for autocrats and accused him of having an affinity for such leaders.
Kyiv had previously paused strikes on Russian energy facilities for three days to align with U.S. requests but resumed them due to ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. Despite Ukraine's adherence to a purported ceasefire on energy infrastructure strikes, Zelensky reported that his military experienced a lack of U.S. early-warning alerts for ballistic missiles and slowed Starlink services. Russia, however, did not publicly agree to the ceasefire and continued its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.