A UKRAINIAN lady who found refuge in the local area from the war has described the televised debate between Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump as “shocking” and “painful to watch!”
“I do not think there was a Ukrainian anywhere who was watching that without thinking our Prime Minister was set up in an attempt to make him look like a fool in front of the world,” explained Maryna Korolov.
“It was a strange performance. We do not believe our Prime Minister said or did anything wrong.
“Usually such important discussions are held behind closed doors and the fact this one wasn’t made me think it was designed to compromise Zelenskyy and make him look like he doesn’t want peace and is ungrateful for all the help Ukraine has received.”
Maryna told the Chronicle that she believes her Prime Minister tried to check his emotions for as long as possible but the inference by Trump and J.D. Vance that Ukraine was somehow responsible for prolonging the war became too much for him to tolerate.
Maryna explained, “Trump seemed adamant in proving that Zelenskyy didn’t want peace and to lower his reputation in the eyes of the international community.
"When journalists ask Zelenskyy pointless questions about why he’s not wearing a suit, it all seems to trivialise why he was there, and it comes across as a form of bullying.
“Did they ask Winston Churchill why he didn’t wear a suit to The White House during the Second World War?”
Since the barbed comment about Zelenskyy’s lack of a shirt and tie, Maryna has revealed that people in Ukraine have taken to wearing suits as a form of tounge-in-cheek solidarity with their Prime Minister.
Maryna explained, “The Ukrainian mentality is one of humour and resilience and everyone thought that question was a hugely inappropriate one to ask a world leader.
“We are very proud of our Prime Minister, he is our guy and we support him even more for the way he conducted himself during the interview and the way he thanked the American people in later statements,” explained Maryna.
“If there was an election tomorrow he would win by a landslide. Because we know Ukraine is his priority and he will continue to find a way to secure a lasting peace.”
With the latest news that President Trump has made the decision to pause all military aid to Ukraine, that “lasting peace” is looking increasingly elusive.
Maryna told the Chronicle, “What Trump has done is very dangerous and has changed the historic cause of America. He seems happy to let Ukraine die and I believe he harbours many unpleasant emotions towards Zelenskyy.
“In my opinion, I think the American people need to be careful because Trump could end up destroying their country. Trump’s all about making life wonderful for people in America at the expense of everyone else. But the world doesn’t work like that.
“As countries we are all connected and we need to work together to secure a better future for everyone.”