On Wednesday, President Trump escalated the feud he has with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by calling him a failing and unpopular leader. He also called him a “dictator,” who would not have survived without “the gravy train” of the United States.

The savage attack on social media represents a major shift in U.S. Foreign Policy after four years when the Biden Administration portrayed Mr. Zelenskyy a hero who fought against Russian authoritarianism and was a critical ally.

This is just the latest in a long line of significant changes to Ukraine’s foreign policy since Donald Trump returned to the White House. Under his leadership the U.S. broke with its long-standing nonengagement policy towards Russia and held peace talks without the Ukrainian government. This angered Zelenskyy, and annoyed European leaders.

Zelenskyy expressed his frustration with a series of pointed remarks late on Tuesday, after President Trump suggested that Ukraine was responsible for the war. The conflict began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. He claimed that Mr. Trump is trapped in a “bubble of Russian disinformation”.

Mr. Trump responded by launching a vicious attack against Mr. Zelenskyy.

Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Consider it. A modestly successful comic, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, convinced the United States of America to spend $350 billion dollars in a war he could not win, and that was never necessary to begin. But a conflict that he will never be able settle without the U.S. or ‘Trump.'” “A dictator with no elections? Zelenskyy had better act fast, or he will not have a country.”

How Mr. Trump came up with $350 billion is not clear. Inspector General monitoring U.S. Aid flowing to Ukraine estimated the figure at approximately $183 billion by the end of 2024. Last week, the president claimed that $350 billion was “the true number” for U.S. assistance.

Mr. Trump said that the war in Ukraine was Europe’s issue and criticised European leaders for failing to do their part to stop it.

Zelenskyy, he said, refused to hold elections. He also said that he was “very low” in the Ukrainian polls.

“The only thing that he did well was play Biden ‘like fiddle’…. Meanwhile, we are successfully negotiating an end to war with Russia. This is something everyone admits only ‘TRUMP,’ and the Trump Administration, can do. Zelenskyy wants to keep the gravy train going, Zelenskyy has never tried and Europe failed to bring Peace.

Wednesday morning, after Trump claimed that Ukraine had started the war with Russia, the feud grew worse, and could weaken Ukraine’s negotiating position.

Mr. Zelenskyy stated that Mr. Trump was trapped in a “circle of misinformation” and Ukraine isn’t for sale.

He said, “I’d like to hear more truth from the Trump team.”

Mr. Trump said that Kyiv might have been able to make a deal in order to avoid the Russian invasion.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he should never have started the project.

“I believe I can end this war and it is going well. Today, I heard “Oh, well, we weren’t invited. Well, you have been there for 3 years.” You shouldn’t have started it. “You could have made an agreement,” he said.

The president said that a proposal to have Ukraine join NATO was known by Moscow to be inacceptable and had essentially sparked the war.

Trump said that the security of Ukraine was not an American issue. He wrote that “this War is much more important for Europe than it’s us.” “We are separated by a beautiful, big ocean.”

Vice President J.D. Vance told Daily Mail that Zelenskyy’s criticisms of Mr. Trump were not helping him: “Everyone who knows the President will tell you this is an awful way to deal to this administration.”

The comments of Mr. Trump sparked a political backlash. Charles E. Schumer (New York Democrat) called them “disgusting.”

It deliberately distorts truth. He said it was “disgusting” to see a president of the United States turn against his friends and openly support a thug such as [Russian President] Vladimir Putin.

John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican senator, disagreed with the suggestion by Mr. Trump that Ukraine is responsible.

Kennedy stated, “I believe Vladimir Putin began the war.” I also believe that Vladimir Putin, from bitter experiences, is a criminal. He is a gangster “with a dark heart” and has the “taste of blood” of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

European leaders condemned Mr. Trump’s remarks, but others expressed the hope that the bad feelings between Kyiv & Washington would spur both parties to be serious about a lasting ceasefire as well as the need to continue to support Ukraine once the fighting has stopped.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock stated that “nobody but Putin initiated or wanted this conflict in the heartland of Europe.” But no one in Europe can allow doubts to be raised that we’re not doing all we can for peace, security and the future of Europe and our children.

Sophie Primas, the French government’s spokeswoman, described Donald Trump’s comments on Ukraine and its origins as “diverse and varied.”

She said, “We don’t really understand the logic.”

Sergey Lavrov of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who led a Kremlin delegation that met with Secretary Marco Rubio, and other top Trump National Security aides in Saudi Arabia for face-toface discussions on Tuesday, praised the diatribe Mr. Trump made against the Ukrainian President.

Mr. Lavrov called Mr. Trump a “completely independently politician… who is used talking directly.”

According to Tass, he said that “such people usually do not hide their opinion about pathetic individuals such as Mr. Zelenskyy”.

Mr. Lavrov stated that Mr. Trump is “the first and, I believe, the only Western leader to date, who has publicly and loudly said that the previous administration’s reckless policy of pulling Ukraine in NATO was one of the roots of the Ukrainian crisis.”

The U.S. allies that support Ukraine gathered in Paris, France for the second consecutive day to discuss the shattered diplomatic landscape created by the Trump Administration and to confirm they would only support a peace agreement if the Ukrainian government supported it.

“It is a fundamental principle to Canada and the vast majority our allies.” Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, said that nothing about Ukraine would be complete without Ukraine.

Boris Johnson (former British Prime Minister) was a political confidant to Mr. Trump at one time. He said that Mr. Trump’s words should not be taken literally but rather seriously.

“Of Course, Ukraine did not start the war.” You could as well