United States President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said that «somebody else» should negotiate on Ukraine's behalf, as a rift over Russia sanctions deepens and his domestic approval rating falls to a new low.
The remarks come as Trump faces criticism for his decision to waive sanctions on Russia, a move that has unsettled allies and drawn scrutiny at home. The president's intervention in the Ukraine negotiation process, and his suggestion that a different representative should take the lead, mark a sharp shift in the public posture of Washington towards Kyiv.
A new Reuters poll shows that only 31 per cent of Americans approve of Trump's performance in office, while a Washington Post-ABC survey puts his approval at 33 per cent — a fresh low for his presidency. The figures land just over two weeks before the November midterm elections, adding pressure on Republican candidates as the president campaigns across the country for embattled members of his party.
The sanctions decision has become a central point of contention. Waiving penalties on Russia at a moment of continued tension over Ukraine has prompted criticism from lawmakers and observers who argue it weakens the pressure campaign against Moscow. The White House has not offered a detailed public explanation of the move in the material available.
Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy and his call for a different negotiator raise questions about the future of US mediation efforts between Kyiv and Moscow. The Ukrainian government has not issued an immediate public response to the president's remarks.
The political timing is significant. With the midterms approaching, the president has been travelling the country to support Republican candidates, and the falling approval numbers could complicate those efforts. The Reuters and Washington Post-ABC findings are among the most closely watched indicators of public sentiment in the final stretch of the campaign.
The sanctions waiver and the Ukraine dispute are likely to feature in the closing weeks of the midterm campaign, as opponents seek to frame the administration's foreign policy as inconsistent. For now, the president's public break with Zelenskyy and his call for new negotiators stand as the clearest signal yet of how far US-Ukraine relations have shifted.
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