A demonstration for the release of soldiers captured by the Russians and to commemorate the birthday of famed Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, on March 9 in Kyiv.Olga Ivashchenko/The Globe and Mail
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky will try to mend fences with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration when he meets senior American officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, but a major breakthrough appears unlikely as Mr. Trump ramped up his criticism of Mr. Zelensky on Sunday.
In an interview with Fox News, Mr. Trump claimed the Ukrainian leader had taken money from the U.S. “like candy from a baby.”
“I just don’t think he’s grateful,” he said. When asked if he was concerned that Ukraine might not survive without the resumption of U.S. military aid, Mr. Trump said that Ukraine “may not survive anyway.”
Mr. Zelensky has been trying to repair his relations with Mr. Trump ever since an ill-fated meeting in the White House last month when the U.S. President berated him for not being sufficiently appreciative of America’s backing. Since then, Mr. Trump has cut off military supplies to Ukraine and blocked intelligence sharing.
In a post on X on Friday, Mr. Zelensky said officials from both countries have been working intensely on a peace plan. “Ukraine is fully committed to a constructive approach,” he said.
Ukrainian MP Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs the foreign affairs committee of the national parliament, doubted Tuesday’s meeting will result in the resumption of U.S. military aid.
Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of the foreign affairs committee in Ukraine's parliament, on March 9 in Kyiv.Olga Ivashchenko/The Globe and Mail
“I’m skeptical about this meeting,” he said in an interview in Kyiv on Sunday. “Maybe it might be a modest step toward making relations better with Americans. In our situation everything which helps even a little bit to improve relations between us is extremely important.”
Mr. Merezhko said he is still trying to understand Mr. Trump’s thinking but he said any peace deal must include security guarantees and maintain Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“Maybe he has a secret plan,” he said of Mr. Trump. “But on the surface of politics, it looks like he’s putting pressure on Ukraine. He’s criticizing Ukraine. He’s trying to blame the victim, not the perpetrator. And when I look at this, either it is absolutely crazy or he has sided with Russia. And third explanation is that he might have a secret plan.”
Nearly all Ukrainian politicians have rejected Mr. Trump’s calls for Mr. Zelensky to resign and for a presidential election to take place.
“We can’t have elections now. It’s physically impossible,” said Oleksii Goncharenko, an opposition MP. “There is no way to have elections to change Zelensky before we will end the war. So, we will need to achieve peace under Zelensky’s leadership. It doesn’t matter, do we like it or not.”
Sunday’s rally took on special significance as it marked the birthday of famed Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who was born on March 9, 1814.Olga Ivashchenko/The Globe and Mail
On the streets of downtown Kyiv on Sunday, a large crowd gathered for what has become a weekly demonstration to draw attention to Ukrainian soldiers held in Russian captivity, including those from the Azov regiment who defended Mariupol for weeks in 2022 before it fell to the Russian army.
Sunday’s rally took on special significance as it marked the birthday of famed Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who was born on March 9, 1814. In his honour the demonstration took place in front of a park and a university named after him.
As passing motorists honked their horns in support, another group gathered at the foot of a statue of Shevchenko to sing and recite some of his works. Others stood silently along the sidewalk, remembering those who have been imprisoned by the Russians.
On the streets of downtown Kyiv on Sunday, a large crowd gathered for what has become a weekly demonstration to draw attention to Ukrainian soldiers held in Russian captivity.Olga Ivashchenko/The Globe and Mail
Halyna Kornienko, 74, has only been able to speak with her 22-year-old grandson a couple of times since he was captured by Russian soldiers nearly three years ago and sentenced to 24 years in jail. “Right now we don’t know where he is,” she said as tears welled in her eyes.
She’s trying to remain hopeful about the war despite everything she hears from Mr. Trump. “We don’t know what to expect because one day we have hope and another day everything collapsed.”
Across the street, Artem Pyndyk stood on the sidewalk with his wife and six-month-old daughter. He spent just over two years on the front lines and said at least 300 members of his brigade have been taken prisoner.
“I would like to live in a world where such kind of morons don’t have any power,” he said of Mr. Trump. “For us, it is crucial to have American support and we are focusing on citizens of USA, not on this pathetic so-called leader.”
Tetiana Nazarenko came to the rally with her dog, Phoebe, to show support for the families of imprisoned soldiers. Her husband joined the army in 2014 and he’s currently serving on the front line.
She’s six months pregnant with their first child, a boy who they plan to name Matviy. She too worries about where the war is headed without U.S. military help.
“I’m ready for everything, but my husband is always trying to calm me down and he asked me not to watch or read the news and not think about it,” she said. “Definitely, I am scared about what could happen. But I’m ready for everything that could happen in Ukraine.”
She’s kept a photo on her phone of a poster she made last year on Shevchenko’s birthday when she went to city hall to demand more financial assistance for the families of soldiers held in prison. The placard included a passage from one of the poet’s famous works, In the Fortress, which ends with lines about “evil rogues” who “lull our Ukraine.”
“Let her, all plundered, wake again. …”