US President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a “dictator” and further straining their relationship.
Trump’s comments came after Zelensky criticized US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, which Ukraine was excluded from.
Zelensky suggested that President Trump was “living in a disinformation space” influenced by Moscow.
Speaking at an event in Florida, Trump responded by saying Zelensky was only good at manipulating former US President Joe Biden.
The “dictator” remark sparked backlash from European leaders. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it “wrong and dangerous” to deny Zelensky’s legitimacy as a democratically elected leader.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed his support for Zelensky in a phone call, backing him as Ukraine’s elected leader.
A Downing Street spokesperson pointed out that suspending elections during wartime, like the UK did during World War II, was “perfectly reasonable.”
Zelensky’s five-year term was set to end in May 2024, but elections are on hold due to the ongoing war with Russia, which began with its invasion in February 2022.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also criticized Trump’s use of the word “dictator,” calling the remarks “absurd.” She said:
<blockquote>
If you look at the real world instead of just firing off a tweet, then you know who in Europe has to live in the conditions of a dictatorship: people in Russia, people in Belarus.
</blockquote>
Speaking in Florida, Trump referred to Zelensky as a “dictator,” just hours after using the same term in a Truth Social post about the Ukrainian president. Said Trump:
<blockquote>
He refuses to have elections. He’s low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?
</blockquote>
Trump also mentioned his efforts to secure rare-earth minerals from Ukraine, accusing Zelensky’s government of “breaking the deal.”
His speech echoed a Truth Social post where he criticized Zelensky, saying, “He has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died.”
Trump also claimed that the US was “successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia.”
A White House official explained that Trump’s post was a response to Zelensky’s “disinformation” comments.
On Tuesday, US and Russian officials held their first high-level face-to-face talks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukraine’s former prime minister, told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjev2j70v19o">BBC</a> that Russia was likely celebrating Trump’s remarks.
He also defended Zelensky, calling him a “completely legitimate president” and stating that elections can’t be held under martial law.

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US President Donald Trump called Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and criticized their relationship. Zelensky had criticized US-Russia talks and suggested Trump was influenced by Moscow. European leaders, like German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, supported Zelensky. Zelensky's term was to end in 2024, but war with Russia postponed elections. Trump accused Zelensky of not having elections and failing as a leader. Former Ukrainian prime minister defended Zelensky as a legitimate president.US and Russian officials held talks after the invasion. Russia likely celebrated Trump's remarks.

Trump Labels Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky A "Dictator"

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the city of Dnipro, which, if confirmed, would be the first use of such a weapon in any armed conflict.
Western officials, as reported by ABC News, questioned this claim, suggesting that the missile was actually a shorter-range ballistic missile, similar to those previously used by Russia in the war against Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s air force, nine projectiles were launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region at Dnipro between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time. The missile is believed to have travelled about 500 miles (800 km) to reach its target.
The missile reportedly hit its target “without consequences,” though there were no immediate reports of casualties. Six of the nine projectiles were intercepted by Ukraine’s air defence systems.
Russian ICBMs have a range of over 6,200 miles, capable of reaching targets as far as the U.S. east coast.
These weapons are also capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which could make such a launch a symbolic or strategic signal from Moscow, though it has not been officially confirmed, reported <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/21/russia-fired-intercontinental-ballistic-missile-at-dnipro-says-ukraine">The Guardian</a>.
Russia has not acknowledged the use of an ICBM and did not mention it in its daily military briefing.
However, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova appeared to inadvertently reference the missile strike in a phone conversation caught on a hot mic, where an unidentified caller instructed her not to comment “on the ballistic missile strike”. The caller did not use the word intercontinental.
Under an agreement between the U.S. and Russia signed in 2000, each side is supposed to notify the other 24 hours in advance of any missile launch exceeding 500 km. It is unclear whether Russia followed this protocol.
Pavel Podvig, an expert on Russian nuclear weapons, warned that there wasn’t enough information to confirm whether the missile was an ICBM.
He suggested that while using an ICBM in a military context may not make sense due to its high cost and low accuracy, it could serve as a political or strategic signal.
The U.S. and UK have permitted longer-range missiles, like the Atacms and Storm Shadow, to be used against targets in or near Russia’s Kursk region, a development that Russia has warned it would respond to “accordingly.”
The U.S. embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed after receiving a warning of a “potential significant air attack.” The closure was linked to increased concerns over Russia’s missile activities, particularly ICBM threats.
Early reports from Dnipro suggested damage to an industrial enterprise and two fires in the city. Civilian impact remains limited, though full details have not been confirmed.
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Russia fired a big missile at a city in Ukraine. Some say it was a long-range missile, but others think it was a short one. The missile hit the city, but no one got hurt. Ukraine stopped some of the missiles with their defense systems. Russia did not admit to using a big missile. Some people think firing the big missile was just a message, not a real attack. The US and UK have also used long-range missiles near Russia. The US embassy in Ukraine closed because of fears of more missile attacks. Damage was seen in the city, but no details are confirmed yet.

Ukraine Claims Russia Fired Intercontinental Ballistic Missile At Eastern City

Russia’s army has reportedly gained full control of the strategic hilltop town of Vuhledar in eastern Ukraine, according to unconfirmed claims by pro-Russian military bloggers, reported <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/2/russia-reportedly-captures-key-town-of-vuhledar-in-eastern-ukraine">Al Jazeera</a>.
The mining town, located in the Donetsk region, is significant for its strategic position and has resisted capture since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The governor of Donetsk reported that Russian troops had reached the centre of Vuhledar shortly before these claims emerged.
Russian authorities have not commented on the reports that it now controls the town.
Vuhledar serves as a supply hub for both Ukrainian and Russian forces, located at the intersection of the eastern and southern fronts.
Its capture is viewed as crucial for Moscow’s efforts to control the entire Donetsk region.
The town’s strategic value is heightened by its closeness to a rail line connecting Crimea to the industrial Donbas region.
While under Ukrainian control, Vuhledar allowed forces to target Russian supply lines.
Russian forces reached the outskirts last week and have intensified their offensive, complicating Ukrainian supplies and troop rotations.
Reports indicate that remaining Ukrainian defenders faced heavy bombardment from aerial glide bombs.
Ongoing fierce fighting since 2022 has devastated much of Vuhledar. Recent footage showed Russian soldiers unfurling flags from bombed buildings, corroborating claims of their presence in the town.
Since August, Russian troops have advanced rapidly in eastern Ukraine, marking their fastest progress in over two years, despite Ukrainian incursions into Russia’s Kursk region.
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Russian forces have taken over a town called Vuhledar in Ukraine. This town is very important because it is a hub for supplies for both Ukrainian and Russian troops. The town is also close to a rail line connecting Crimea to the Donbas region. The Russian troops have been advancing quickly in eastern Ukraine, causing a lot of damage and fighting. The town has been heavily bombed and many Ukrainian defenders are facing attacks. This is part of Russia's efforts to control the Donetsk region in Ukraine.

Russian Forces Reportedly Capture Strategic Town In Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky has cancelled all upcoming foreign trips as Ukrainian troops withdraw from several villages in the border region of Kharkiv following an incursion by Russian forces.
As reported by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1030vvy0mzo">BBC</a>, a Ukrainian military spokesman said soldiers had come under heavy fire in two areas of the northeastern region and moved to “more advantageous positions” language Ukraine has typically used to signify a retreat.
Russia has claimed that its forces have now taken control of two more settlements in the region – Lukyantski and Hlyboke – and the village of Robotyne, in the southern Zaporizhzhia region
Robotyne was one of a few settlements Kyiv retook in its summer counter-offensive last year.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian military said the decision to move troops from the Lukyantsi and Vovchansk areas was taken to “preserve the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses”.
The military spokesman also said that the situation “remains difficult” but asserted that Ukrainian forces were “not allowing the Russian occupiers to gain a foothold”.
Thousands of civilians have fled west in recent days towards Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv – including from the town of Vovchansk, located 74km away.
Oleksiy Kharkivskiy, Vovchansk’s police chief, said “The situation is extremely difficult. The enemy is taking positions on the streets of the town of Vovchansk”.
Russian troops made incursions into the Kharkiv region on Friday, and the attack is seen as one of Russia’s most significant ground attacks since it launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
On Wednesday, President Zelensky’s office said reinforcements have been sent to the wider Kharkiv region.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional US$2 billion in military aid to the Ukrainian war effort while on a visit to Kyiv. He said:
<blockquote>
We’re rushing ammunition, armoured vehicles, missiles, air defences to get them to the front lines.
We’ve been through challenging times together, I have every confidence that together we will get through these difficult moments.
</blockquote>
It comes weeks after the US Congress passed a $61 billion aid package last month.
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