Trump-Zelensky Feud & MAHA’s Industry Impact | 2.20.25
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What is the Trump-Zelensky feud about?
Tensions escalate as President Trump and Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky feud over peace negotiations.
I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land and no people would have been killed, but they chose not to do it that way.
What's driving the wedge between the two leaders and how will Trump's new economic deal play into the talks?
I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, February 20th, and this is Morning Wire. Trump's Labor Department pick sails through her confirmation hearing, despite Republican concerns over her past.
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Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the details on the growing feud. So Cabot, things appear to really be coming to a head between these two. First, give us a little timeline. How did all of this start?
Well, it's no secret Donald Trump is not the biggest fan of Zelensky. Throughout the campaign, he accused the Ukrainian president of corruption and taking advantage of American generosity. But things really escalated when the White House excluded Ukraine from those initial peace talks with Moscow this week. And while Trump said that they would be brought in once negotiations got more serious, Zelensky expressed outrage, saying he would not accept any deal unless he had a seat at the table. Now, Trump responded by saying they've had a seat at the table for the last three years and that they could have ended the war a long time ago. And that brings us to yesterday. when things heated up even more.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, Zelensky accused Donald Trump of spreading Russian propaganda and, quote, living in a disinformation space.
And that prompted a very significant response from the president. What did Trump say?
Yes, it did. Trump lit into Zelensky hours later with a long post on Truth Social that reads in part, quote, Zelensky talked the United States of America into spending $350 billion to go into a war that couldn't be won, that never had to start. but a war that he, without the U.S. and Trump, will never be able to settle. Zelensky admits that half of the money we sent him is missing. He went on to call Zelensky a, quote, dictator without elections.
So Trump is drawing attention to the lack of elections in Ukraine since the war began.
Right. Zelensky's presidential term technically expired last year. But because the country is under martial law, they have not held an election to replace him, allowing him to stay in power indefinitely. Now, Zelensky and his supporters say an election is not feasible given the conflict and that Ukrainians overwhelmingly support him. So an election is not necessary in the first place. Here he is Wednesday speaking through a translator.
First of all, we have 58% confidence in me. I have seen this in various opinion surveys. So if anyone wants to replace me right now, that won't work.
VP Vance offered his own advice for Zelensky, telling the Daily Mail, quote, the idea that Zelensky is going to change the president's mind by badmouthing him in public media. Everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration. For their part, Democrats on the Hill slammed Trump's comments, echoing Zelensky's claims of Russian disinformation.
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