Donald Trump's attempts to denigrate Volodymyr Zelenskyy have led to a surge in Ukrainian unity

As the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the mood and situation among the Ukrainian people are as heavy and tense as they were on the eve of Moscow's war. Ukrainians are not only worried about their long-term enemy, Russia, but also face threats from what was once their staunchest ally, the United States.

American support for Ukraine seems to be waning, with U.S. President Trump repeating Russian President Putin's rhetoric on one hand and promising to stop the fighting between the two countries on the other. This has placed Ukraine in an unprecedented predicament. After more than three years of war, Ukraine's initial spirit of unity has begun to fade, and past frictions and political disputes have resurfaced.

However, after Trump wrongly claimed this week that Ukraine is led by a "dictator" who is waging war against Russia, even President Zelensky's harshest critics have rallied around him, and the sense of unity has surged again. "Yes, he is not a perfect president, but he is not a dictator," said Kateryna Kalaush, a 25-year-old tech worker in Kyiv. She, like many Ukrainians, and even some Republicans in the U.S. Congress, find it difficult to understand Trump's embrace of Russia, which represents a major shift in U.S. foreign policy.

Despite facing numerous difficulties, with substantial military assistance from the United States, the Ukrainian people have prevented Russia from occupying their country, although about one-fifth of the territory remains under Russian control. However, after three years of war, both civilians and soldiers are exhausted. Hundreds of thousands have been killed or injured, tens of thousands are missing, and millions have fled the country.

In recent days, the situation in Ukraine has become even bleaker as Trump has expressed his desire to quickly end the fighting, with conditions that are too favorable to Russia for Zelensky and many in the West. After Trump wrongly called Zelensky a "dictator" (because he legally postponed elections last year), and after reports that U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a possible ceasefire without Ukraine's participation, even some of Zelensky's domestic opponents began to defend him.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of the opposition "Voice" party, said: "We may have different views on Zelensky, but only Ukrainian citizens have the right to judge his support for Ukraine. And they also have the right to openly criticize him, because in the end, he is our elected leader." Trump's harsh rhetoric toward Zelensky has drawn criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans in the U.S. Congress, who have consistently supported Ukraine's resistance to Russia in a bipartisan manner and provided hundreds of billions of dollars in military aid. But Vice President JD Vance cautioned Zelensky against publicly warning Trump not to fall into the trap of Russian disinformation.

As tensions escalated, a press conference scheduled after talks between Zelensky and Trump's special envoy to Ukraine on how to end the war was canceled. A poll released Wednesday by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology showed that public trust in Zelensky stood at 57%. The survey was conducted from February 4 to 9 and targeted 1,000 people living in areas and territories controlled by the Ukrainian government.

"We have a president we support. During the war, we are united," said Larisa, a 52-year-old resident of Kharkiv. She declined to give her last name for security reasons. At the same time, as Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and outgunned, it is becoming increasingly difficult to stop Russia's slow but steady advance.

Some Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines say they have not panicked and are not ready to give up fighting. "Even if we don't get enough weapons or funding is cut, it won't change our responsibility to fight," said a Ukrainian officer who asked not to be named. "No shells? We'll pick up rifles. No rifles? We'll pick up shovels."

On Wednesday, Trump repeated an argument often used by Putin, claiming that Zelensky's term expired last year and that elections must be held. However, this idea has little traction in Ukraine, even among opposition politicians, who acknowledge Zelensky's right to postpone elections during wartime. "There is no need for elections now, because elections should only be held when we understand the framework for a peace agreement with Russia," said Volodymyr Ariev, a member of the opposition "European Solidarity" party.

Ariev added: "Holding elections now would only benefit the Kremlin, further divide Ukrainians, and install a new president who might sign an agreement favorable to Moscow." Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, gave another reason for postponing the elections: Russia might try to interfere in an election process that is already facing significant challenges.

Millions of displaced Ukrainians living abroad would find it difficult to participate in the vote, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territories, who would have virtually no way to vote. Currently, about 800,000 Ukrainians are serving in the armed forces, making it difficult for them to vote without weakening the military. And those who are fighting will not be able to run for office, a right guaranteed by Ukrainian law.

Valery Pekar, a professor at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, said: "Holding elections before signing a peace agreement with security guarantees would be devastating for Ukraine. The U.S. and Russia are now both pushing the idea of 'elections first, peace later,' which is the fastest and cheapest way to defeat Ukraine."