Khaberni - US President Donald Trump stated in an interview with "Politico" on Tuesday that Ukraine, which "has lost a lot of territory," should hold elections, harshly criticizing President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump said, "I think the time has come" to hold elections, accusing Kyiv of "exploiting the war" to avoid them.
He considered that Ukrainian leaders "speak of democracy, but we have reached a stage where there is no longer democracy." He added, "The Ukrainian people must have this choice... I don't know who will win."
Moscow accuses Zelensky of being "illegitimate" because his six-year presidential term was supposed to end in 2024, but the martial law in place in Ukraine since the start of the Russian attack in 2022, prevents the organization of elections.
Trump repeated criticisms of the Ukrainian president made on Sunday, considering that he had not read his plan to end the war in Ukraine.
The American president said, "A lot of people are dying. So, it would really be good if he read it."
He added that Russia "has the military upper hand," and "always has," and that it is "much larger" than its opponent.
He saw that "there is no doubt" that Russia is in a strong negotiating position, while its forces made the biggest progress on the front in Ukraine since last year, according to an analysis conducted by Agence France-Presse of data released by the Institute for the Study of War in Washington.
Trump expressed regret over the deaths of "millions of people," considering that this war should never have happened.
He said that "part of the problem" lies in the fact that Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "hate each other intensely," which makes "it very difficult for them to reach an agreement."
In response to a question about whether he believes Ukraine has lost the war, he replied that it "has already lost a lot of territory."
