Berlin, February 20, 2025 – The Europe Today: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday strongly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump for labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator,” calling such remarks “wrong and dangerous.”
“It is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelenskyy his democratic legitimacy,” Scholz stated in an interview with Der Spiegel, according to media reports. He emphasized that Zelenskyy remains the duly elected leader of Ukraine and that the ongoing war with Russia has made it impossible to hold elections, in accordance with Ukraine’s constitution and electoral laws.
“The fact that no proper elections can be held in the middle of a war is in line with the Ukrainian constitution and electoral laws. No one should claim otherwise,” Scholz added.
The German chancellor also pointed out that it was Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, that initiated the war against Ukraine.
“Ukraine has been defending itself against a merciless Russian war of aggression for almost three years. Day after day,” he said.
Christian Democratic Chancellor Candidate Friedrich Merz Condemns Trump’s Remarks
Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz, the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) chancellor candidate, also rejected Trump’s comments regarding Ukraine.
Responding to Trump’s claim that the Ukrainian government was partly responsible for the war and could have achieved peace earlier, Merz told public broadcaster ARD that such statements were a “classic perpetrator-victim reversal.”
“This aligns with the Russian narrative of President Vladimir Putin. And to be honest, I am somewhat shocked that Donald Trump has now obviously adopted this narrative himself,” Merz stated.
Trump’s Controversial Statements on Ukraine
Trump on Wednesday referred to Zelenskyy as a “dictator without elections” and warned that the Ukrainian leader needed to act swiftly or risk losing his country. The former U.S. president made the comments on his social media platform, Truth Social, just hours after Zelenskyy criticized his position, accusing him of being influenced by Russian disinformation.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Ukraine should have avoided the war and has advanced negotiations to end the three-year-long conflict without Kyiv’s participation. He further asserted that European nations had failed to bring peace to Ukraine, while the United States was making strides toward a resolution.
Trump’s statements have drawn widespread criticism from Western allies, who continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion. The controversy over his remarks comes as he remains a key contender in the 2024 U.S. presidential race, with foreign policy likely to be a major topic of debate.
