TRUMP ECHOES THE KREMLIN’S LINE AND CALLS FOR ZELENSKYY TO BE REPLACED

Trump said Zelenskyy should face elections, blamed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil facilities for rising diesel prices, and argued that Russia has millions more soldiers. He also said Putin “really wants a settlement.” The remarks came just after Trump announced a diesel arrangement with Moscow that eases U.S. sanctions on Russian fuel.

That framing closely tracks the Kremlin’s argument: that Ukraine is responsible for prolonging the war and should accept a settlement on Moscow’s terms. It leaves out the central fact that Russia launched the full-scale invasion and continues to attack Ukraine

Ukraine is under martial law, which prevents national elections during wartime. Calling for a vote now does not change that legal reality; it puts pressure on Ukraine’s leadership while Russia continues its invasion.

Trump’s position increasingly resembles the approach taken by leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, who have opposed or weakened European efforts to sustain pressure on Moscow. The result is a message that serves the Kremlin: blame Kyiv, praise Putin’s supposed desire for peace, and press Ukraine to make concessions.

We hope the midterm elections put Trump in his place—and remind Washington that support for Ukraine and resistance to Russian aggression still matter to American voters.