Trump pressures Zelenskyy for new elections, warns Ukraine of 'a point where it’s not a democracy anymore'

President Donald Trump appeared to instrumentality a swipe astatine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by reiterating his telephone for elections, contempt Ukraine's wartime prohibition against them. 

The remarks travel arsenic Washington works to unafraid a woody to extremity the Russia-Ukraine war.

"They haven’t had an predetermination successful a agelong time," Trump told Politico. "You know, they speech astir a democracy, but it gets to a constituent wherever it’s not a ideology anymore."

It's not the archetypal clip that Trump has called for Ukraine to clasp elections. In February, Trump sparked contention erstwhile helium referred to Zelenskyy arsenic a "dictator without elections" successful a Truth Social post.

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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during the 80th United Nations General Assembly, successful New York City, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2025.  (Al Drago/Reuters)

"He refuses to person elections, is precise debased successful Ukrainian polls and the lone happening helium was bully astatine was playing Biden 'like a fiddle.' A dictator without elections, Zelenskyy amended determination accelerated oregon helium is not going to person a state left," Trump wrote.

A fewer days aft the post, Zelenskyy visited the White House, wherever helium had an infamous clash with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The 3 men sparred implicit the warfare arsenic Zelenskyy attempted to overgarment it arsenic a imaginable menace to the U.S., thing Trump and Vance rejected.

President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arsenic Vice President JD Vance reacts astatine the White House connected Feb. 28, 2025.  (Brian Snyder/File Photo/Reuters)

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On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said that aft speaking with European leaders, helium was acceptable to contiguous a bid connection to the U.S.

"We are moving precise actively connected each components of imaginable steps toward ending the war. The Ukrainian and European components are present much developed, and we are acceptable to contiguous them to our partners successful the U.S. Together with the American side, we expect to swiftly marque the imaginable steps arsenic doable arsenic possible," Zelenskyy wrote connected X. "We are committed to a existent bid and stay successful changeless interaction with the United States."

Zelenskyy said the extremity of the warfare depended connected Russia's willingness to "take effectual steps to halt the bloodshed."

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a property league successful Kyiv connected Feb. 26, 2025, amid the Russian penetration of Ukraine. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP via Getty Images)

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The bid woody is not the lone contented connected Zelenskyy's plate. He's besides facing turbulence connected the location beforehand aft a caller governmental scandal. Andriy Yermak, the caput of the bureau of the president of Ukraine, resigned precocious past period aft his location was raided by anti-corruption investigators. Upon Yermak's resignation, Zelenskyy thanked him for "always presenting the Ukrainian presumption successful the dialog way precisely arsenic it should be."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Zelenskyy's bureau and the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Fox News' Simon Owen contributed to this report.