Zelenskyy Delivers Slapdown To Trump Over Cause Of Ukraine War

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered a brutal slapdown to Donald Trump over his claims about what triggered the Ukraine war.

The US president has repeatedly suggested that Ukraine itself began the conflict – a notoriously wrong Kremlin talking point.

In actual fact, the conflict began almost four years ago to the day with Russian president Vladimir Putin sending Russian tanks into Ukraine.

Trump has also claimed that Zelenskyy is a dictator for not holding elections while his contract faces daily bombardment from Russia.

In an interview with the BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen, Zelenskyy hit back at the president.

Bowen asked him: “Donald Trump says different things at different times, but among the things he said is that you’re a dictator and that you started the war. It’s not helpful is it, for you?”

Laughing, Zelenskyy replied: “I’m not a dictator and I didn’t start the war. That’s it.”

Asked if he could trust Trump on security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelenskyy pointed out that he will not be the US president forever.

“It’s not only President Trump, we are talking about America,” he said. “As presidents we have fixed terms. We want guarantees for 30 years, for example. Congress is needed. Presidents change, but institutions stay.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Zelenskyy also claimed that Putin has “already started” World War 3.

“The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him,” he said. “Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves.”