Trump Pushes Fading Zelenskiy Toward Risky Ukraine Election
- The comedian-turned-wartime president is at a crossroads
- Trump is pressing for a vote that plays into Putin’s hands
Volodymyr Zelenskiy
Photographer: Hollie Adams/BloombergVolodymyr Zelenskiy knows a thing or two about wearing different guises. As a comedian, humor was his armor. As a wartime leader it was military fatigues. But there was no disguising the sense of betrayal reverberating in Ukraine as the president put on a brave face to let the world know about his latest dispiriting call with Donald Trump.
The US president had earlier spoken for 90 minutes with Vladimir Putin and for all intents and purposes sold Ukraine out, extinguishing any hope for NATO membership or American boots on the ground. Russia would probably keep most of the territory it had snatched over the years. All Zelenskiy could do or say about Trump was to “appreciate his genuine interest.”