Trump's Rift with Zelenskyy: Kremlin Echoes, Self-Interest, and a Shifting Alliance
A tight circle of Kremlin-friendly advisers surrounds Donald Trump while dissenting voices are scarce. But beyond their influence, Trump’s sensitivities and self-interest also shape his views.
His recent claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a "dictator" responsible for the war with Russia sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles. Yet, it didn’t come out of nowhere.
Trump has already left the Western alliance in turmoil, launching a scathing social media attack on Zelenskyy just hours after implying Kyiv was to blame for Russia’s invasion. His rhetoric, which mirrors Kremlin talking points, included false claims—such as stating Zelenskyy’s approval rating was 4% when a recent poll put it at 57%. In response, Ukraine’s leader suggested Trump was trapped in a Russian “disinformation bubble.” But Trump may not just be a victim of such misinformation—he may have built the bubble himself.
Pro-Russian Voices in Trump’s Inner Circle
Many in Trump’s circle have a history of siding with Moscow’s narrative. His vice president, JD Vance, has long questioned U.S. military support for Ukraine. In the past, he dismissed Ukraine’s fate, telling Steve Bannon he didn’t "really care what happens to Ukraine, one way or the other." Even as reports of Russian atrocities surfaced, Vance doubled down, opposing further U.S. involvement in what he called a “war sinkhole.”
Other key figures in Trump’s orbit include Tulsi Gabbard, recently appointed as Director of National Intelligence, and Tucker Carlson, a staunch Trump ally. Both have echoed Russian justifications for the invasion. Gabbard blamed the war on Ukraine and NATO, while Carlson’s fawning interview with Vladimir Putin was widely seen as a propaganda gift to Moscow.
Trump’s new Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has also signaled a major shift in U.S. policy, stating that the U.S. will no longer prioritize European security and that Ukraine will never join NATO. His remarks were met with sharp criticism, including from Republican Senator Roger Wicker, who dismissed them as something “Tucker Carlson could have written.”
A Republican Party Purged of Dissent
Voices like Wicker’s, or former Vice President Mike Pence's—who recently countered Trump’s claim that Ukraine "started" the war—are rare in today’s GOP. The Reagan-era hawks from Trump’s first term, such as Pence, Liz Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger, have been sidelined. The party has largely shifted toward an isolationist stance, aligning with Trump’s preference for disengagement from Europe’s security concerns.
Yet Trump’s affinity for Putin predates this shift. Russia’s interference in the 2016 election in Trump’s favor was well-documented by U.S. intelligence agencies—agencies Trump has since come to despise. The Mueller investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia only deepened his hostility.
In 2019, Trump’s pressure campaign on Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden in exchange for military aid led to his first impeachment. His skepticism toward Ukraine seems to stem as much from personal grievances as from strategic calculations.
Elon Musk, Zelenskyy, and the Personal Feud Factor
Adding to the drama is Elon Musk, another of Trump’s close allies. Though Musk’s Starlink satellites aided Ukraine’s war effort, he clashed with Zelenskyy in 2022 after suggesting Ukraine should surrender Crimea and abandon its NATO ambitions. Recently, Musk has mocked Zelenskyy on social media, possibly inspiring Trump’s belittling remarks.
A Relationship Built on Impulse
Despite Trump’s latest break with Zelenskyy, some experts believe the relationship remains fluid. Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations argues that Trump’s foreign relationships are transactional and shift based on self-interest.
“Trump sees himself as trying to help Europe and Ukraine, yet he’s faced criticism. His response—calling Zelenskyy a dictator and blaming him for the war—was impulsive and reactionary,” Kupchan explains.
But Trump ultimately wants a deal to end the war, which requires maintaining some form of working relationship with Zelenskyy. If he attempts to bypass Ukraine and negotiate directly with Putin, any agreement is unlikely to hold.
For now, Trump’s stance on Ukraine remains unpredictable—guided less by strategy and more by personal grievances, a revolving door of advisers, and the ever-changing calculus of political gain.
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