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Translated by: Flutura Gashi-Mehmeti
- February 19, 2025 11:42 AM
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Updated (12:59) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the cost of the war in Ukraine so far is $320 billion, adding that Kiev and the US have different numbers on this.
According to him, of this amount, about $120 billion was spent by Ukrainian taxpayers and another $200 billion came from the US and the EU, reports the BBC.
The US has provided $67 billion in weapons as well as budgetary support, according to him.
Trump has previously said that the US is seeking the equivalent of $500 billion in rare earth minerals from Ukraine in exchange for its continued support.
"It's not $500 billion, this is not a serious conversation," Zelensky declared.
He says the US claims that 90% of support for Ukraine comes from them, but "the truth is somewhere else."
"We are grateful for their support," he added.
Zelensky was also asked about Trump's request for Ukraine's rare earth minerals, and said he rejected the idea because, according to him, the US president did not offer security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange for them.
US is helping Russia emerge from global isolation, Zelensky says
Updated (11:54) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the US is helping Putin emerge from isolation, which he said was "absolutely justified due to their full-scale invasion" of Ukraine.
He also criticized Trump's comments that most of Ukraine's support comes from the US, the BBC reports.
"The truth is somewhere else," he declared, adding that he remains "grateful for the support."
"This is not positive for Ukraine. What they are doing is they are bringing Putin out of isolation and the Russians are happy because the discussion is focused on them," Zelensky said.
He added that Russia seems to be presenting itself as a victim and that this is something new.
Zelensky: Trump lives in a space of disinformation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a press conference on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump "lives in a space of disinformation," alluding to what he called disinformation being released by Russia.
According to him, Russia also passes this disinformation to the US, reports The Guardian.
Zelensky added that polls show that 58% of Ukrainians trust him, so as he said, if someone wants to replace him, it won't work.
"So if someone wants to replace me now, it won't work," Zelensky said.
"Unfortunately, President Trump, with all due respect to him as the leader of a nation that we respect greatly... is living in this space of disinformation," he added.
His comments come after Trump claimed days earlier that Zelensky, who won a five-year term in 2019, had suffered a decline in confidence.
Zelensky has also said he will seek to collect more data on trust in major global leaders to counter Russian disinformation.
"All of this is worrying. All they are doing is making sure that Ukraine is weak," Zelensky said.
