posted 19th February 2025
Kemi Badenoch Rejects Trump’s Claim That Zelenskyy Is a 'Dictator'
Photo from Sky news
Kemi Badenoch has refuted Donald Trump’s claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a “dictator” for not holding elections during the ongoing war with Russia.
The former U.S. president also suggested that Kyiv was responsible for starting the war, a claim widely dismissed by international observers.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, the Tory leader defended Zelenskyy, stating that he is “a democratically elected leader of Ukraine who has bravely stood up to Putin’s illegal invasion.” She reaffirmed the UK's commitment to Ukraine, declaring, “We will always stand with Ukraine.”
However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Badenoch agreed with Trump’s assertion that Europe “needs to pull its weight” on defence spending. She criticised Sir Keir Starmer for failing to act on increasing the UK’s defence budget to 2.5% of national income, urging him to implement the Conservative plan already in place.
"There is a fully funded plan sitting on his desk," she wrote, adding that "2.5% should be the bare minimum," amid calls for even greater defence expenditure. The UK's current defence spending is approximately 2.3% of national income.
