Donald Trump, the U.S. President, recently made some statements regarding Ukraine while at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He claimed that Ukraine was responsible for the ongoing war with Russia and referred to President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "dictator."

Trump highlighted that no presidential elections have been held in Ukraine since 2019. Zelensky, who was a comedian with no political background, won the presidential election that year. Trump argued that Zelensky is currently in power without elections, labeling him as a "dictator." However, elections have been suspended due to the martial law imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which is considered a justified action during wartime.

Trump also stated that Zelensky’s popularity had dropped to just 4%, though he did not provide specific sources or evidence to support this claim. Conducting accurate surveys in Ukraine has become increasingly difficult due to the war, which has caused millions of Ukrainians to be displaced and Russia to occupy a significant portion of the country. Some surveys have indicated that while Zelensky’s popularity has decreased, it has not fallen to the extent claimed by Trump. A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 57% of Ukrainians still expressed confidence in Zelensky.

Zelensky responded by saying that Trump is influenced by Russian disinformation. He also emphasized that holding elections during a war would be irresponsible because Russia's attacks are ongoing and many Ukrainians have either fled the country or live in areas controlled by Russia.

World leaders have also weighed in, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir offering strong support for Zelensky. They pointed out that suspending elections during wartime is a reasonable decision, similar to the actions taken by the UK during World War II.

While Trump’s claim about Zelensky’s popularity being as low as 4% lacks solid evidence, other surveys show that although Zelensky’s popularity has decreased, it remains above 50%. Given the ongoing martial law in Ukraine, Zelensky’s democratic legitimacy is still intact.