This was a surprising thing to see.
The conservative-leaning New York Post is once again making waves with its hard-hitting headlines. Under the ownership of billionaire Rupert Murdoch, the paper made a bold statement on its front page last Friday: “PRESIDENT TRUMP: THIS IS A DICTATOR,” with an accompanying image of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This attention-grabbing cover came on the heels of remarks from former President Donald Trump, who accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being a dictator. Trump went further, claiming that Ukraine had started the war with Russia, a highly misleading assertion given the facts. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea, and in 2022, Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, one that continues today.
As noted by Douglas Murray in the Post, “Putin started this conflict, despite what Trump claimed several days ago. Russia is fighting to take control, while Ukraine is fighting to protect themselves. Ukraine is a ally of the U.S. and Putin cannot be trusted. American aid to Ukraine is not being wasted.”
Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy have been mounting. Just a few days ago, Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s comments by accusing him of living in a Russian-manufactured “disinformation space.” In turn, Trump fired back, labeling Zelenskyy a dictator with no elections, a comment that certainly won’t help efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the ongoing war. Zelenskyy also urged Trump’s team to be more truthful, challenging the claims Trump had made about Ukraine being the instigator of the war.
Trump’s remarks centered on Ukraine’s delay of elections due to the war and the imposition of martial law, in line with Ukraine’s Constitution. The former president suggested that Ukraine should hold elections regardless. He also mocked Zelenskyy as “a modestly successful comedian” who had persuaded the U.S. to spend $350 billion on a war that, according to Trump, never should have started and cannot be won without American intervention.
The war in Ukraine, which escalated with Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, continues to be a contentious topic. Putin’s justification for the invasion—that it was necessary to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine—has been widely debunked, and the international community has denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression. Meanwhile, Russian state media has gleefully covered Trump’s criticisms of Zelenskyy, interpreting it as a sign of Trump’s disillusionment with the Ukrainian leader.
In this ongoing conflict, where geopolitics are at play, it’s clear that the situation remains highly complex, with strong voices from both sides of the aisle pushing for different approaches.