'I'm not dictator and I didn't start war:' Zelenskyy responds to earlier accusations by Trump
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again commented on earlier controversial remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting he was a dictator and responsible for the war, according to the president’s interview with BBC.
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During the interview, the host asked the president about Trump’s often contradictory statements, recalling that he once accused the Ukrainian leader of being a "dictator" who started the war, effectively echoing claims made by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy laughed and responded that:
"I'm not a dictator, and I didn't start the war. That's it," he responded.
The interview also touched on negotiations, including visits by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow and concerns that the United States could be influenced by Russian narratives.
Zelenskyy stressed that Witkoff meets with the Ukrainian side more often than with the Russians and has had more meetings with Trump than Putin.
Zelenskyy said he could not state this with certainty, noting that Witkoff himself claims he has met the Ukrainian side more often than the Russians. He added that he has held many meetings with President Trump, while Trump has had only one meeting with Putin.
The president also said he believes the United States should stop Russia rather than try to accommodate it, arguing that Moscow would continue to mislead regardless.
He concluded that Russia is driven primarily by its own interests.
