Macron defends Zelensky as Ukraine's legitimate leader after Donald Trump brands him ‘dictator’

Macron also launched a scathing attack on Vladimir Putin, saying that the Russian leader has been ‘manipulating his elections’ for a long time.

Published on: Feb 21, 2025, 02:10:39 IST

By HT News Desk

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French President Emmanuel Macron threw his weight behind Volodymyr Zelensky, the embattled leader of war-torn Ukraine on Thursday, saying he was elected in a "free system",

FILE: France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky pose before a meeting in Brussels on December 18, 2024. (AFP)

Macron’s statement came after US President Donald Trump branded Zelensky a "dictator."

"He is a president elected in a free system," Macron said in a question-and-answer on social media, referring to the Ukrainian president.

Macron also launched a scathing attack on Vladimir Putin, saying that the Russian leader has been ‘manipulating his elections’ for a long time.

"This is not the case for Vladimir Putin, who has been killing his opponents and manipulating his elections for a long time," Macron said about Putin.

The French leader will be traveling to Washington DC on Monday to meet Trump and said that he would tell his American counterpart to not show any weakness to Putin, as it would make it harder to deal with China and Iran.

Donald Trump's ‘dictator’ remarks for Volodymyr Zelensky

Donald Trump called Volodymyr Zelensky “a dictator without elections” in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war.

Trump lashed out at Zelensky in a social media post that apparently referred to the fact that Ukraine has delayed elections because of the invasion and the subsequent imposition of martial law in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution. Trump suggested Ukraine ought to hold elections.

Trump also called Zelensky “a modestly successful comedian” who “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.”

The Ukrainian leader was elected on a five-year term in 2019 with elections due in 2024. However, due to the imposition of martial law after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Zelensky postponed the elections till the end of the war.

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HT News Desk
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