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There’s been no lack of reactions over Trump’s harsh rhetoric about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy accused Trump of “living in this disinformation space,” and Trump responded by calling Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections.”
Thisclashisn’tnew,ofcourse.ZelenskydirectedhisfairshareofcriticismatTrumpandVicePresidentJDVanceduringthe2024electioncycle,buoyedbythebeliefthataDemocraticvictorywaslikely.
Oops.
MereweeksbeforeElectionDay,theBiden-HarrisadministrationflewZelenskyytotheUnitedStatesattaxpayerexpense,strategicallylandinghiminthecriticalswingstateofPennsylvania.There,hetouredamunitionsplant,sendingaclearmessage:billionsinaidtoUkrainemeansjobsforPennsylvanians.
Somesawitasblatantelectioninterference,asZelenskyywaseffectivelycampaigningwiththeincumbentadministration.InaninterviewwithTheNewYorker,ZelenskyyattackedTrumpascluelessonUkraineandwentevenfurther,callingJDVance“dangerous”and“tooradical.”Thetimingandmessagingmadeitobviou
