Kemi Badenoch Hits Back Against Trump Calling Zelensky A "Dictator"
Kemi Badenoch became the leader of the Conservative Party in November 2024 (Alamy)
2 min read
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has posted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "not a dictator", in a response to comments made by US President Donald Trump.
This week, US and Russian officials have started discussions in Saudi Arabia on ending the war in Ukraine. European leaders held an emergency summit on Monday after it emerged that talks in Saudi Arabia would go ahead without representation from Ukraine or Europe.
On Wednesday, Trump made a post seemingly blaming Zelensky for continuing the war and called him a "Dictator without Election". In turn, Zelensky accused Trump of living in a "disinformation space" created by the Kremlin.
Badenoch, who has previously accused the current Labour government of engaging in "student politics" with the Trump administration, today condemned Trump's comments.
"President Zelensky is not a dictator," the leader of the opposition posted on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
"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."
She added, however, that President Trump was "right" that Europe and the UK needed to do more when it comes to increasing defence spending, and that she would support the current government if it decides to go ahead with it.
"That should be the bare minimum," she said.
"Starmer should get on with it, get on a plane to Washington and show some leadership. We cannot afford to get this wrong."
Starmer is due to meet Trump in Washington next week as part of his effort to act as a "bridge" between Europe and the new US administration.
On Wednesday afternoon, Trump posted on social media that Zelensky had "talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn't be won".
"He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden 'like a fiddle'," Trump continued.
"A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left."
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