Starmer shows support for 'democratically elected' Zelenskyy after Trump 'dictator' comments

19 February 2025, 20:48 | Updated: 20 February 2025, 05:38

The Prime Minister has shown support for the "democratically elected" President of Ukraine following comments made by Donald Trump.

The US president took aim at Zelenskyy after he accused Trump of "helping Putin to come out of isolation" by working with him.

On Wednesday evening, Number Ten released a statement expressing Starmer's support for the Ukrainian leader following a phone call.

In the call, the Prime Minister said it was "perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during war time as the UK did during World War Two", according to a Downing Street spokesperson.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister spoke to President Zelenskyy this evening and stressed the need for everyone to work together.

“The Prime Minister expressed his support for President Zelenskyy as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader and said that it was perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during war time as the UK did during World War II.

Mr Zelensky, who was elected as president of Ukraine in May 2019, postponed elections which were previously scheduled to go ahead in 2024 after martial law was put in place across the country.

“The Prime Minister reiterated his support for the US-led efforts to get a lasting peace in Ukraine that deterred Russia from any future aggression.”

Trump took to TruthSocial on Wednesday to demand the US be paid back the billions it spent on Ukraine and call for Zelenskyy to hold elections or he "may not have a country left."

It comes as the US and Russia hold peace talks without Ukraine, leading many to believe the Trump administration has abandoned Europe to Putin and Russia.

Donald Trump calls Zelenskyy a 'dictator'

Read more: Trump is living in a ‘disinformation space’, says Zelenskyy as he hits back at US for ‘helping’ Putin 'come out of isolation'

In the post, Trump wrote: "Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle.

"The United States has spent $200 Billion Dollars more than Europe, and Europe’s money is guaranteed, while the United States will get nothing back.

"Why didn’t Sleepy Joe Biden demand Equalization, in that this War is far more important to Europe than it is to us — We have a big, beautiful Ocean as separation."

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He added: "A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.

"In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only “TRUMP,” and the Trump Administration, can do."

Zelenskyy has accused President Trump of being "trapped in a disinformation bubble" after he accused the Ukrainian leader of starting the war.

Speaking in a news conference, Zelenskyy said he is "seeing a lot of disinformation" from Russia.

He's also accused Trump is 'helping' Putin 'to come out of isolation' by working with him.

He said: "With all due respect to President Donald Trump as a leader, he is living in this disinformation space."

The Ukrainian leader added: "Look, we all want a victory, and we want Trump to win, and we want Ukraine to win, all of us to succeed.

"But I am protecting Ukraine. I can't sell it away. I can't sell our state."

He also dismissed suggestions that he should step down as leader, or that his approval ratings are at 4%.

The Ukrainian leader said that it was Russian disinformation - his approval ratings are actually 50%.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch as rejected Trump's claim that Zelenskyy is a dictator in a rare break from the Republican's position.

She wrote on X: "President Zelenskyy is not a dictator. He is the democratically elected leader of Ukraine who bravely stood up to Putin’s illegal invasion.

"Under my leadership, and under successive Conservative Prime Ministers, we have and always will stand with Ukraine.

"President Trump is right that Europe needs to pull its weight - and that includes the UK. We need to get serious. The PM will have my support to increase defence spending - there is a fully funded plan to get to 2.5% sitting on his desk.

"That should be the bare minimum. Starmer should get on with it, get on a plane to Washington and show some leadership. We cannot afford to get this wrong."

It comes after Trump made the false claim that Ukraine started the war, which began when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and escalated after Putin invaded the country in 2022.

"Today I heard, ‘oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years ... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal,” Trump said.

Thousands of Russian soldiers have barrelled over the Kursk border into Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has claimed, despite insisting he is willing to explore options to ending the war.

Russia’s alleged advance came just hours after Moscow stressed Putin’s willingness to enter peace talks with Zelenskyy.

Kremlin spokesman Dmirty Peskov told reporters on Tuesday the Russian leader has “repeatedly said he is ready to speak about peace” but stressed that Moscow's “wider security issues” need to be addressed first.