Abdelrahman
By Matt Murphy & Jake Horton, BBC Verify
In a recent press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, US President Donald Trump expressed controversial views, insinuating that Ukraine bears responsibility for its ongoing conflict with Russia.
While addressing journalists, Trump commented on the popularity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and noted that scheduled elections in Ukraine have been postponed due to the prevailing martial law circumstances.
His remarks, which echoed familiar Russian narratives regarding the war, arose shortly after a US diplomatic delegation met with Russian representatives in Riyadh to initiate discussions aimed at concluding the nearly three-year-long conflict.
In response to Trump’s statements, President Zelensky accused him of existing within a "disinformation space" orchestrated by Russia.
BBC Verify has since conducted a thorough fact-check of Trump’s allegations.
Claim: "You should have never started it."
Ukrainian officials voiced their concerns over being excluded from the recent talks in Riyadh. However, Trump brushed off these grievances, asserting that Ukraine had a significant three-year window to resolve the war, subsequently placing blame on Kyiv for initiating the conflict.
"You should have never started it," Trump remarked. The Kremlin has previously accused Ukraine of triggering hostilities against Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated a similar sentiment during an interview, claiming, "It was they who began the war in 2014. Our objective is to halt this war. We did not instigate the conflict in 2022."
Contrary to Trump’s assertion, Ukraine did not initiate the war. The conflict escalated in February 2022 when Russia undertook a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, subsequent to its annexation of Crimea in 2014. This annexation followed the ousting of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president due to widespread protests.
Russia has also been accused of supporting proxy forces that seized control of parts of eastern Ukraine, while alleging discrimination and genocide against Russian-speaking residents by the new government in Kyiv. The International Court of Justice has dismissed Moscow’s allegations.
Following the breakdown of peace negotiations aimed at resolving the post-2014 conflict, Russia began amassing troops along its Ukrainian border in late 2021, leading to Putin’s invasion on February 24, 2022, with claims of intending to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine’s pro-Western administration and obstruct its NATO aspirations.
In the context of Ukraine’s recent parliamentary elections, support for far-right candidates was just 2%. Moreover, it is noteworthy that President Zelensky is of Jewish descent, and his party is regarded as centrist. While NATO officials acknowledged Ukraine’s candidacy for alliance membership in 2021, it was not part of any official proceedings.
General Valerii Zaluzhnyi speaks at a conference; he is considered a potential rival to President Zelensky.
Claim: "I hate to say it, but he’s down at 4% approval rating."
Trump also claimed that President Zelensky’s approval rating has plummeted to 4%. It remains unclear which source Trump referenced, as he did not provide any substantiation. The White House has been approached for clarification.
Recent survey data revealed that 57% of Ukrainians expressed trust in Zelensky, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. However, this figure marks a decline from 77% at the end of 2023 and 90% in May 2022, indicating a downturn in the President’s popularity.
Additional polling data suggests Zelensky may be trailing his closest competitor, former military chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, in an initial round of any forthcoming election, potentially leading to a runoff.
Accurate polling has become increasingly challenging amid the war, compounded by millions of Ukrainians fleeing the country and substantial territories being occupied by Russian forces.
Following Trump’s statements, several prominent Russian media outlets echoed his claim, referencing a Telegram poll conducted by Ukrainian MP and Zelensky critic Oleksandr Dubinsky, which they argued supported Trump’s assertion. Dubinsky, however, faces treason charges in Ukraine and is accused of acting under Russian intelligence directives, allegations he denies.
Claim: "We have a situation where we haven’t had elections in Ukraine, where we have essentially martial law in Ukraine."
Trump spotlighted the fact that Ukraine has not conducted presidential elections since 2019, when Zelensky—an individual with no prior political experience—assumed power decisively.
Zelensky’s term, originally slated to expire in May 2024, has been effectively extended due to the ongoing martial law imposed following the Russian invasion in February 2022, which mandates the suspension of elections.
Ukraine’s martial law was instituted in 2015, soon after Russia annexed Crimea and long before Zelensky and his Servant of the People party came into power. In November, every party within Ukraine’s parliament supported the decision to delay elections until hostilities cease, a move that appears to resonate with public sentiment.
A survey indicated that around 60% of Ukrainians opposed conducting elections to replace Zelensky during wartime, according to research conducted in September and October by the International Republican Institute.
Zelensky has committed to organizing a new election once the conflict concludes, though he has yet to announce whether he plans to run again. Analysts suggest it would be nearly impossible to hold elections while the ongoing Russian attacks persist and with millions of citizens either displaced or under occupation.
Trump’s comments were made shortly after the Kremlin reiterated claims questioning Zelensky’s legitimacy, which it has asserted repeatedly in recent months. On January 28, Putin labeled Zelensky as "illegitimate" during a Russian media interview.
Regarding the electoral situation, Trump acknowledged that similar allegations have been raised by Russia, clarifying, "That’s not a Russian thing, that’s something coming from me, from other countries."
Zelensky has previously remarked that discussing elections amid current hostilities would be "absolutely irresponsible."
Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring.
