Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has relied on the US for crucial support in the fight against Russia. However, he has faced a turnaround since the reelection of Donald Trump. The two leaders are engaging in a war of words.



At a news conference on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said: "Unfortunately, President Trump, I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we have great respect for -- the American people, who always support us -- unfortunately, he lives in a disinformation space."



The comments came in response to Trump's claim a day earlier that Ukraine started the war. Trump also appeared to question the legitimacy of Zelenskyy's rule, saying that no elections have been held since the fighting began. He tried to justify his remarks by claiming the Ukrainian president's approval rating was just 4 percent.



However, recent polling by Kyiv International Institute of Sociology suggests 57 percent of Ukrainian people trust Zelenskyy. That is 5 points higher than it was in December.



Trump doubled down on Wednesday, referring to Zelenskyy on social media as a "dictator without elections."



Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to benefit from America's turn away from Ukraine. In St. Petersburg on Wednesday, he praised the outcome of talks earlier this week between a Russian and US delegation.



He added that solving important issues will require a greater level of trust between the two sides, and he says he will be glad to once again hold a summit with Trump.