US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of incompetence and of having contributed to the continuation of the conflict with Russia. Trump said Zelensky was making "ridiculous statements" and was not doing enough to stop the fighting.

Trump also expressed concern about the transparency of the use of financial assistance provided to Ukraine by the United States. He said that Zelensky "does not know where half of the money that the United States has given to Ukraine is," and stressed the need for an audit and reporting on the use of these funds.

The American leader also noted that elections have not been held in Ukraine for a long time and, according to his data, Zelensky's rating is only 4%. Trump stressed that in order to achieve a peaceful settlement, Ukraine needs to hold elections to ensure the legitimacy of the government and the opportunity to participate in negotiations.

Trump also said Russia has the ability to destroy Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, "very quickly" but is unwilling to do so. He noted that if Russia wanted to, it could turn Kyiv into a "massive place of destruction," but has refrained from doing so.

Trump has previously claimed that the conflict in Ukraine could have been avoided if Zelensky had agreed to negotiate with Russia and reached an agreement. He stressed that even a "mediocre negotiator" could have struck a deal that would have prevented destruction and loss of life.