Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the subject of debate about his leadership as President Donald Trump ramps up criticism of the nation’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
A previous Vogue magazine cover story featuring Zelenskyy and his wife Olena came under fire again for being tone-deaf and Elon Musk posted a comment this week that reignited the controversy.
“He did this while kids are dying in trenches on the war front,” Musk wrote.
He did this while kids are dying in trenches on the war front pic.twitter.com/NPhDz3cP46
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2025
Musk’s post, amid the backdrop of the exchange of criticisms between Zelenskyy and Trump, set off comments on X where users condemned the Ukraine leader and others called out Musk.
Zelensky doesn’t care about his people…. He only cares about the money he can swindle out of America and other countries. He is despicable.
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) February 20, 2025
Zelenskyy is an egomaniac. He needs to be legally removed from power.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 20, 2025
Elon come on. Zelensky is fighting for his country, and being in the public eye benefits his country.
This character assassination is lame and I mistakenly thought better of you
— Hugo Montenegro (@uwwgo) February 20, 2025
He did this to raise awareness for the war and to get as much help for ukrainian kids as possible. You should know this and don’t participate in this smear campaign
— Christoph Hofer (@chr_hofer) February 20, 2025
Meanwhile, Trump’s remarks about the Ukraine leader have evidently offended some in his nation. A video posted on X shows a purported Ukrainian soldier angrily tearing off the U.S. flag patches on his military helmet.
The action may have been in response to comments made Tuesday by Trump during a news conference when he said Ukraine “never should have started” the war, and called Zelenskyy a “dictator” since the nation has had no elections since Russia invaded in 2022.
A Ukrainian soldier tears off the American flag from his helmet in protest of Trump’s recent remarks about Zelensky. pic.twitter.com/rpEpHX7e3O
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 20, 2025
“He refuses to have Elections, is very low in Ukrainian Polls, and the only thing he was good at was playing Biden ‘like a fiddle,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.”
“I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…..” he concluded.
Social media users blasted the soldier’s actions in the video.
When did we start allowing foreign military to don our patch?
— Bert Hamby (@HambyBert) February 20, 2025
What an idiot, ripping off American flags on his US-supplied helmet. 😆
If you really wanted to virtue signal, give back the helmet, rifles, tanks, jets, etc. 🤡
— Reply By Mail (@ReplybyMail) February 20, 2025
I’ve noticed that America’s “allies” stop being allies when the money train stops.
— StormyT 🌿 (@OutLikeA_Lamb) February 20, 2025
So brave. Now give back the American weapons you are equipped with to prove how strong you stand by this cowardly action.
— Boomstick Mafia (@BoomstickMafia) February 20, 2025
This dude should not have our flag on his helmet to begin with. The only troops that are fit to have U.S. flags on their helmets are American ones. Ridiculous.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) February 20, 2025
