Trump calls Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ who should ‘move fast’ or lose country as row with Ukraine leader worsens – Europe live
"US president attacks Ukraine leader after Zelenskyy says Trump is living in a Russian ‘disinformation bubble’
Zelenskyy 'better move fast' or he won’t have a country left - Trump
In a Truth Social post Donald Trump wrote Ukraine’s Zelenskyy “better move fast” or he won’t have a country left. Trump added that Zelenskyy had “done a terrible job” and called him a dictator “without elections”.
Here is more from Trump’s Truth Social post in which he states: “this war is far more important to Europe than it is to us…”
Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle. The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back. Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation.
Trump calls Zelenskyy a 'dictator without elections'
We have more detail on Donald Trump’s Truth Social post:
Trump called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” after the Ukrainian leader earlier on Wednesday accused Trump of being trapped in a “disinformation bubble.”
Zelenskyy admits that half of the money we sent him is “MISSING.” He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden “like a fiddle.” A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left. In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only “TRUMP,” and the Trump Administration, can do. Biden never tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelenskyy probably wants to keep the “gravy train” going. I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…..
Zelenskyy 'better move fast' or he won’t have a country left - Trump
In a Truth Social post Donald Trump wrote Ukraine’s Zelenskyy “better move fast” or he won’t have a country left. Trump added that Zelenskyy had “done a terrible job” and called him a dictator “without elections”.
We have more from Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen.
She admitted that Denmark and other countries had made a mistake by cutting defence spending in recent years, saying:
It must never happen again.
Mette Frederiksen said in a message to Denmark and others:
Don’t cut back on defence again.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni visited Pope Francis in hospital on Wednesday, a day after he was diagnosed with double pneumonia, saying that she had found him alert and responsive, Reuters reports.
“We joked as always. He hasn’t lost his proverbial sense of humour,” Meloni said in a statement.
Denmark needs 'massive rearmament' to avoid war - Frederiksen
Mette Frederiksen has announced that Denmark needs a “massive rearmament” to avoid war as she announced Denmark will spend 50bn DKK over the next two years on defence.
The Danish prime minister said that Denmark will “buy what here and now can contribute to a stronger defence and to a stronger deterrent.”
It comes after coming under huge pressure from the Trump administration over Greenland and its recent comments on cutting support to Europe and Ukraine.
The investment brings Denmark’s defence spending up to 3% of GDP in the next two years (up from 2.4% in 2024).
“This is the highest level in over half a century,” Frederiksen said.
More now from the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock.
She dismissed Trump’s claim that Kyiv had “started” the fighting.
In a statement she said:
No one but Putin started or wanted this war in the heart of Europe.
She added that “we are working with all our strength to further strengthen Ukraine,” AFP reports.
Canada insists Ukraine must be part of US-Russia talks
Ukraine must be part of any talks about its future, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday.
Ahead of a meeting on the conflict and European security hosted by France, Trudeau said:
It’s a fundamental principle for Canada and for the vast majority of our allies... Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.
Putin's claims of new offensive from Kursk region a 'lie' - Ukraine official
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council’s Center for Countering Disinformation said:
Putin’s information about a large-scale Russian offensive is a lie.
He added that a Russian reconnaissance unit had tried to cross but had been destroyed.
Putin says Russian troops crossed into Ukraine from Kursk region overnight
More from Putin, he says that a brigade of Russian troops had crossed into Ukrainianterritory overnight, suggesting a ground attack on Ukraine’s Sumy region for the first time since Russia retreated from there in 2022.
“I was told an hour ago that at night fighters of the 810th brigade crossed the border of the Russian Federation and Ukraine and entered the territory of the enemy,” Putin said in televised remarks, referring to a brigade state media reported was deployed to Russia’s Kursk region near the border with Ukraine’s Sumy region.
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock says “we are at an existential crossroads for security and peace in Europe”, referring to the Ukraine talks.
More now from Vladimir Putin, who has said that Ukraine would not be excluded from negotiations to end the war, according to Reuters.
“Without increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States, it is impossible to resolve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said, referring to Tuesday’s meeting in Riyadh.
“The goal of this meeting was precisely to increase trust between Russia and the United States.”
Ukraine and European governments were not invited to the talks in the Saudi capital, heightening their concern that Russia and the United States might cut a deal that ignores their vital interests.
But Putin claimed Russia had not rejected talks with the Europeans or with Kyiv, and it was they who had refused to talk to Moscow.
“We are not imposing anything on anyone. We are ready, I have already said this a hundred times - if they want, please, let these negotiations take place. And we will be ready to return to the table for negotiations,” he said. “No one is excluding Ukraine.”
… and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa.
But stay with us on Europe Live: I am leaving you with Jane Clinton who will guide you through the rest of the afternoon.
Trump told me Ukraine will take part in talks, Putin says
The Russian president is also quoted as saying that US president Donald Trump told him that Ukraine would take part in future peace talks.
He also reportedly said that he would be happy to meet Trump, but that meeting still needs to be prepared.
Russia ready to negotiate on Ukraine, Putin says
We are now getting first reaction to yesterday’s US-Russia talks from Russian president Vladimir Putin.
He is quoted by Interfax and Tass agencies as saying that he is ready to get back to negotiations on Ukraine, which is a priority for Russia.
He also praised the US-Russia talks, saying their purpose was to increase trust between the two countries, and that the two sides acted without ‘bias or judgment’.
We will bring you more of his comments when we have them.
Trump's Ukraine claims - factchecked
And if you want Trump’s overnight comments evaluated and factchecked one by one, here’s a little explainer we put together with our Russian affairs reporter Pjotr Sauer.
(And if you prefer a tl;dr video of a factcheck by the former UK defence secretary, Ben Wallace, it’s here.)
Zelenskyy's comments on Ukraine, Trump - video
If you want to catch up with Zelenskyy’s comments on video, we now have this clip for you:
Sweden, Poland agree to strenghten civil protection, defence cooperation
Nordics correspondent
Sweden and Poland have agreed to “strengthen and deepen cooperation” politically and in civil protection and civil defence, citing the worsened security situation across Europe.
The statement of intent, which is not legally binding but was signed by the Polish interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak and Swedish civil defence minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin in Stockholm, pledges to work together to improve national resilience and preparedness strategies, provide Ukraine support on strengthening national resilience and improve resilience and security in the Baltic region – particularly on critical infrastructure.
The letter, seen by the Guardian, also said they would cooperate on “identifying and analysing hybrid threats and countering its consequences”.
The agreement said:
Our geographical location in Central and Northern Europe, at the shores of the Baltic Sea, entails shared security challenges and calls for joint action.
The fundamentally worsened security situation in Europe following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the new dimension of Poland’s and Sweden’s relationship as allies in NATO, provide further rationale for deepening our partnership.
Both Poland and Sweden have been on the frontline in supporting Ukraine, politically as well as through military and civilian support. We will remain steadfast in our support for as long as it takes.
The letter added that the two countries “have a clear joint ambition to contribute to a secure, safe, and prosperous Europe.”
France 'doesn't understand logic' of Trump's Ukraine comment, spokesperosn says
France does not understand why US president Donald Trump has suggested Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was to blame for Russia’s invasion of his country and the resulting war, a French government spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“We don’t understand the logic very well,” spokesperson Sophie Primas told reporters, describing “the diverse, varied and often incomprehensible comments by President Trump”.
Reuters reported that Primas said Trump had made a number of comments on Ukraine over the past few days without consulting his European allies."
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