Ukraine-Russia war live: Trump slammed for calling Zelensky ‘dictator’ and ‘parroting murderous’ Putin

British opposition figures have hit out at Donald Trump after he claimed Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was “a dictator with out elections”.

The president’s feedback introduced disagreement from Kemi Badenoch, who stated: “President Zelensky is just not a dictator.

“He’s the democratically elected chief of Ukraine who bravely stood as much as Putin’s unlawful invasion. Underneath my management, and underneath successive Conservative prime ministers, we have now and at all times will stand with Ukraine.”

Including that Mr Trump was “proper that Europe wants to tug his weight”, she stated she would help Sir Keir Starmer to extend defence spending and urged him to “get on a aircraft to Washington and present some management”.

However the president’s feedback about Mr Zelensky drew stronger criticism from Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat chief, who stated they “have to be the place the road is drawn”.

He added: “It’s my honest hope that the entire political spectrum in the UK will converse with one voice in opposition to Trump’s lies.”

Downing Road has but to answer Mr Trump’s submit as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to satisfy him in Washington subsequent week.

Russian forces attacked power infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern area of Odesa, Ukrainian power agency DTEK stated as we speak.

DTEK stated their power services had been attacked for the second evening after an assault yesterday left considered one of Odesa’s districts with out heating and energy.

In a submit on his Reality Social web site, Trump accused Zelensky, who he referred to as a “modestly profitable comic” in a reference to his earlier profession as a sitcom star and entertainer, of getting “talked the US of America into spending $350 Billion {Dollars}, to enter a Conflict that couldn’t be received, that by no means needed to begin.”

Russian forces have taken again greater than 800 sq. km (309 sq. miles) of territory from Ukraine within the Kursk area of western Russia, or about 64 per cent of the overall taken by Ukraine since an incursion started final yr, a high Russian common stated.

“Over 800 sq. kilometres have been liberated, which is about 64 per cent of the territory initially occupied by the enemy (1,268 sq. kilometres),” colonel common Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Basic Workers’s fundamental operational directorate, informed the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

He claimed that Russia was advancing in all instructions.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has stated he want to meet with Donald Trump.

“I want to have a gathering, but it surely must be ready in order that it brings outcomes,” Mr Putin stated yesterday in televised remarks.

He added that he can be “happy” to satisfy Mr Trump however famous that the US president has acknowledged {that a} Ukrainian settlement may take longer than he initially hoped. Mr Putin additionally stated that he desires to rebuild US-Russia relations

Russia’s military crossed the border on 24 February 2022 in an all-out invasion that Mr Putin sought to justify by falsely asserting that it was wanted to guard civilians in japanese Ukraine.

He additionally accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to forestall Ukraine from becoming a member of Nato and to supply Moscow safety ensures. Ukraine and its allies denounced the assault as an unprovoked act of aggression.

Australia’s conservative opposition additionally criticised Trump’s place on Ukraine.

“I believe President Trump has obtained it flawed,” Peter Dutton, the chief of the Liberal opposition get together, stated as we speak.

“The thought that president Zelensky or the Ukrainian individuals began this battle or one way or the other they had been answerable for the warfare is simply flawed,” stated Mr Dutton, who was defence minister when the Ukraine battle began.

“Australia ought to stand robust and proud with the individuals of Ukraine. It is a democracy, and this can be a battle for civilisation. Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator, and we shouldn’t be giving him an inch,” he stated.

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Volodymyr Zelensky to specific help for him “as Ukraine’s democratically elected chief” after Donald Trump claimed he was a “dictator”.

A Downing Road spokesperson stated the Prime Minister had referred to as Mr Zelensky on Wednesday night and stated it was “completely cheap to droop elections throughout warfare time because the UK did throughout World Conflict Two”.

The decision follows a day wherein Mr Zelensky had traded barbs with Mr Trump, main the US president to submit a diatribe on his social media web site, TruthSocial, wherein he claimed his Ukrainian counterpart was “a dictator with out elections”.

Earlier, Mr Trump had steered that Ukraine had began the present battle in Russia, and falsely claimed Mr Zelensky had an approval ranking of 4%.

In response, Mr Zelensky stated Mr Trump was residing in a “disinformation house”.

Boris Johnson has hit out at Donald Trump’s claims that Ukraine began the warfare with Russia, because the president got here underneath fireplace for branding Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator.

Mr Trump brought about outrage when he wrongly claimed Kyiv began the warfare, in addition to claiming the Ukraine president’s approval ranking stands at 4 per cent and the nation ought to maintain an election.

US safety ally Australia has underlined that Moscow is the aggressor within the ongoing battle in Ukraine and it have to be resolved on Kyiv’s phrases.

Australia’s defence minister Richard Marles stated the battle had seen extraordinary lack of life but it surely can’t be peace on any phrases.

“The warfare in Ukraine have to be resolved on Ukraine’s phrases, as a result of the aggressor right here is Russia, and what we see at stake is the integrity of the principles‑primarily based order, the worldwide rules-based order,” Mr Marles informed reporters as we speak.

“We welcome makes an attempt to deliver it to an finish, but it surely can’t be on any phrases, it have to be on Ukraine’s phrases, and we’ll proceed to help Ukraine in that,” he stated.