Trump slams Ukraine’s reaction to US-Russia meeting in Riyadh

US President Donald Trump has criticised Ukraine’s response to a meeting between US and Russian delegations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

Speaking at a briefing at his Florida residence, Trump said that Ukraine was unhappy about not being invited to the talks but argued that Kyiv had had three years to end the war and reach an agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed surprise over the meeting, saying that his government only learned about it through the media. He reiterated that no decision regarding the end of the war could be made without Ukraine’s direct involvement.

According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had initially sought Zelenskyy’s participation in the talks. However, both Washington and Moscow reportedly insisted on holding the meeting without Ukraine’s presence.

During his briefing, Trump also commented on the political situation in Ukraine, emphasising the need for elections in the country. He further claimed that Zelenskyys approval rating stood at just 4%, though he did not specify the source of this figure. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 years, considers Zelenskyy’s presidency illegitimate due to Ukraine’s failure to hold elections within the constitutional deadline.

Trump denied allegations that he was echoing Russian propaganda, asserting that his views were based on the current situation. However, recent data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that Zelenskyy’s trust rating was 52% by the end of 2024, contradicting Trump’s claim.