After a tense meeting at the White House, support for U.S. President Donald Trump emerged from the Kremlin following his confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who left abruptly. Russian officials lauded Trump’s “restraint,” with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticizing Zelensky’s claims of isolation and calling him ungrateful. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Security Council deputy head, labeled Zelensky an “insolent pig,” suggesting a cessation of military aid to Ukraine. While European leaders supported Zelensky, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban praised Trump’s stance. The clash highlighted deepening tensions between Washington and Kyiv amid ongoing efforts for U.S. mediation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
New Delhi:
Following a dramatic confrontation between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, support for Trump emanated from the Kremlin in Russia. Russian officials and state media expressed satisfaction after Zelensky abruptly ended his visit following the tense exchange.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Trump demonstrated “restraint” by not physically confronting Zelensky during their discussion.
“In my opinion, the greatest falsehood among all of Zelensky’s claims was his assertion in the White House that the Kyiv regime in 2022 was alone and unsupported,” Zakharova wrote on Telegram.
She added, “It’s astonishing how Trump and Vance refrained from hitting that scoundrel,” asserting that Zelensky was “biting the hand that feeds him.”
Zakharova also described Zelensky as “disagreeable to everyone.”
The most vigorous comment came from Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and a former president of Russia. He did not hold back, referring to Zelensky as an “insolent pig” who experienced “a proper slap down in the Oval Office.”
“For the first time, Trump confronted the cocaine clown with the truth: the Kyiv regime is toying with the prospect of a third world war. The ungrateful pig received a sharp reprimand from the owners of the pigsty. This is beneficial, but it’s not enough—we must cease military aid to the Nazi regime,” Medvedev stated.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, characterized the fiery exchange as “historic.” Dmitriev, who participated in Russian-American negotiations on February 18 in Saudi Arabia, viewed the confrontation as indicative of a shift in US policy.
Yevgeny Primakov, leader of Russia’s Agency for International Humanitarian Cooperation, accused Zelensky of attempting to incite violence following the confrontation.
“Everyone witnessed everything. I would just like to highlight the nature of the Kyiv regime: provocations, bloody provocations,” Primakov remarked on Telegram.
He suggested that Kyiv might stage incidents resulting in “mass casualties among peaceful civilians” to garner sympathy and place blame on Russia.
“To cause significant innocent bloodshed and then attribute it to Russia is one of the simplest ways to save face,” he proposed.
Russian state media also celebrated the confrontation, with RT posting on X (formerly Twitter), “Zelensky sits with hands between legs while US President and VP reprimand him.”
Despite many European leaders voicing support for Zelensky, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a long-time ally of Putin, sided with Trump.
Orban lauded the US president for his approach, posting on X: “Strong men create peace, while weak men create war.” He further asserted that Trump bravely advocated for peace, even if it was hard for many to accept.”
This clash in the Oval Office came against the backdrop of increasing tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Trump’s attempts to negotiate a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
During the meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” and warned, “You have no right to dictate what we should feel. You are risking World War III.”
Trump also cautioned Zelensky: “I have empowered you to be strong. You either reach an agreement, or we’re out. You don’t have the upper hand.”
US Vice President JD. Vance reprimanded Zelensky as well, pointing out that he had never shown gratitude for the extensive support the US had given to Kyiv.
The heated exchange, observed by reporters, resulted in the abrupt cancellation of a planned news conference. Trump later expressed on Truth Social his disapproval of Zelensky, calling him “disrespectful” and unwilling to pursue peace negotiations.
Prior to the Trump-Zelensky meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed Russia’s willingness to engage in dialogue with the U.S. but stressed the importance of mutual respect.
“We aim to build dialogue not just with the U.S. but with all nations based on mutual respect and benefit,” Peskov told Russian media.
He dismissed the notion that diplomatic relations should only be pursued from a position of strength, which some critics have attributed to Trump’s foreign policy approach.