Ukraine war latest: Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator'

Key developments on Feb. 27:

• Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator'
• First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says
• Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says
• Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports
• Russia's advance slows down in critical areas after Ukraine regrouped, Syrskyi says
• Russia claims to recapture village north of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 27 that he could not believe he had called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator."

Trump made the comment at a briefing with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House.

"Did I say that? I can't believe I would say that," Trump responded when asked whether he still considers Zelensky a "dictator."

Trump referred to Zelensky as a "dictator without elections" in a Truth Social post on Feb. 19, falsely accusing him of refusing to hold elections and repeating the Kremlin narrative about Zelensky's alleged illegitimacy.

Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which has been in effect since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

If martial law had not been imposed, Zelensky's term would have ended on May 20, 2024. Both Russia and some of Zelensky's domestic critics claim that he ceased to be a legitimate president on May 20.

Major Ukrainian constitutional lawyers and legal experts believe the claim is false and unfounded.

A Feb. 19 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) showed that 57% of Ukrainians trust Zelensky, marking a five-point increase since December.

Why Ukraine likely won’t hold elections next year

When Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a fake vote to extend his mandate in March 2024, Ukraine will not be allowed to hold an election due to the martial law imposed amid Russia’s aggression. This won’t suddenly make Russia more democratic than Ukraine. If Russia had not invaded Ukraine, it

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

Asked about the potential longevity of a peace agreement with Russia, Trump expressed confidence that any deal his administration reaches would hold.

"I have confidence if we make a deal it's going to hold," he said, adding that securing Ukraine's long-term stability after a deal is reached would be "the easy part."

The Trump administration has disrupted years of U.S. foreign policy towards Russia. U.S. and Russian officials have resumed high-level bilateral talks, holding meetings in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and Istanbul on Feb. 27.

The U.S. president also said that he does not believe Putin would launch another invasion of Ukraine once a peace deal is reached.

When asked on Feb. 24 whether he considers Putin a dictator, Trump avoided the question, saying, "I don't use those words lightly... I think we're going to see how it all works out."

Elections have been routinely rigged in Russia, genuine opposition candidates have not been allowed to run, and the Kremlin's monopoly on television ensured that only government-backed candidates have air time.

In 2020, Russia held a rigged vote on constitutional amendments that eliminated limits on Putin's presidential terms, effectively making him dictator for life.

More than 20 opponents of Putin have been killed or died in mysterious circumstances.

How Trump is helping Putin achieve the original aim of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Ukraine’s president is an illegitimate “dictator” aligns with Kremlin war objectives and puts Volodymyr Zelensky in an almost impossible situation, experts and analysts have told the Kyiv Independent. “In the last few days we’ve seen how closely Trump has al…

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says

Moscow and Washington are ready to re-establish cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Feb. 27 during a meeting of the Federal Security Service's (FSB) board, praising the Trump administration for its "pragmatism."

In recent days, the Trump administration has upended years of U.S. foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine. U.S. and Russian officials resumed high-level bilateral contacts, holding meetings in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and Istanbul on Feb. 27.

Speaking as the Russian delegates were concluding their talks in Turkey, Putin described the first contacts between Russia and the U.S. as "inspiring certain hopes." He also claimed that some Western countries are dissatisfied with the restoration of Russian-American relations and want to "create instability in the world."

"These forces will try to disrupt or compromise the dialogue that has begun," Putin said, without providing any evidence. "We need to take it into account and use all the means of diplomacy and intelligence services to disrupt such attempts."

Ukraine has been excluded from the talks in Saudi Arabia, sparking concerns that the Trump administration seeks to sideline Kyiv. The subsequent talks in Istanbul were allegedly focused on embassy operations and did not concern the Russia-Ukraine war.

During the talks in Riyadh, Moscow allegedly demanded that the U.S. withdraw NATO forces from eastern Europe as a condition for "normalizing relations," the Financial Times reported, citing two officials in the region.

The U.S. delegation reportedly rejected the demand, but concerns remain over what concessions President Donald Trump might consider to secure a deal with Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he wants European allies to be involved in peace negotiations. Kyiv insists that no talks about Ukraine and ending Russia's war should be held without Ukraine.

Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said that Europe will not be directly involved in negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine, but its interests will be considered.

US, Russia hold next round of talks in Turkey focused on embassy work

A Russian delegation arrived at the residency of the U.S. Consul General in Istanbul, starting the second round of Russian-U.S. talks, the state news agency TASS reported on Feb. 27.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says

Russia may lose its chance for world leadership if it does not halt its full-scale war against Ukraine by 2026, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) head Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with Ukrinform published on Feb. 27.

Earlier this month, Budanov said he believes that Ukraine and Russia will reach a ceasefire this year. His comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed to mediate a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia while using increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Kyiv.

Asked whether the Kremlin wants to make a peace deal now to build up its strength, Budanov agreed, saying that Russia needs a break.

"According to their (Russia's) strategy, if they don't get out of this war by 2026, they lose even a chance for world leadership. They will be left with a maximum level of regional leadership, which they are absolutely not satisfied with," the spy chief said.

According to Budanov, the financial cost of the war is "too high" for Moscow, which prevents it from focusing on development and large-scale projects. Russia has problems with its economy, but it will be able to "balance" it out as long as it has oil, gas, and precious metals, he added.

"There is a lack of technologies, technological solutions that are not available in Russia, primarily for the development of the Arctic region, gas production, etc.," Budanov said.

Throughout the three years of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's Western partners imposed heavy sanctions on Moscow to undermine its ability to wage war. Initially, Russia has largely weathered the sanctions, circumventing economic restrictions through third-party countries and various loopholes.

The situation appears to be shifting as Russia has faced mounting economic challenges over the past months, compounded by labor shortages and military spending-induced inflation that led to record interest rates.

In the fall of 2023, Budanov said that Russia likely has the economic and technical capacity to continue its war against Ukraine until 2025 or 2026. In office since 2020, Budanov has at times made radical predictions about the full-scale war that have not always come true.

Russia seized boats, harassed volunteers, concealed gravesites ― Kakhovka Dam explosion investigation

According to an investigation by the Kyiv Independent, the Russian military interfered with the work of locals who were evacuating people from the flooded areas on their own — their boats were confiscated, while the volunteers were threatened and forced to stop their efforts.

The Kyiv IndependentOlesia Bida

Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports

Turkey has indicated its openness to deploying troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping force, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 27, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the possibility with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during separate meetings in Ankara earlier in February, according to Bloomberg.

Moscow has publicly opposed NATO troops in Ukraine, but Russia has not given Turkey a concrete response on the proposal, Bloomberg reported.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 20 that Russia was concerned about NATO countries discussing a potential deployment of peacekeepers.

Sources told Bloomberg that Turkey would not participate unless it is directly involved in all consultations and preparations for such a mission.

The idea of a multinational peacekeeping force has been floated as a potential security guarantee for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

While Washington has supported the concept, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Feb. 12 that such a mission would not include U.S. troops and should be led by European and non-European allies.

France, the U.K., and several other countries have expressed support for a peacekeeping force, but European nations have yet to reach a consensus.

As ‘negotiations’ weigh Ukraine’s land, the lives lost under Russian occupation are forgotten

For Viktoriia Hrinienkova, life came to a standstill in June 2023. Three of her family members — her mother, father, and grandmother — died in their own home in Hola Prystan, a Ukrainian town in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. They were killed in the aftermath of Russia’s destruction of

The Kyiv IndependentOlesia Bida

Russia's advance slows down in critical areas after Ukraine regrouped, Syrskyi says

Ukraine has regrouped its troops on the battlefield, slowing down Russian forces' advance in the most "threatening areas," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Feb. 27.

Russian troops are actively pushing on the Novopavlivka sector in eastern Donetsk Oblast, trying to break through Ukraine's defense and capture three settlements, according to Syrskyi.

He did not specify which settlements he meant.

The village of Novopavlivka in Donetsk Oblast lies some 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the embattled city of Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub for Ukrainian troops in the region.

"However, our side has taken a number of measures to improve the interaction of military units and subdivisions, regrouped troops, which slowed down... (Russia's) advance in most threatening areas," the general said after visiting the front line.

Since the beginning of the day, 110 clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces have taken place along the front line, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update on Feb. 27.

According to Syrskyi, Russia continues trying to reach the administrative border of Donetsk Oblast, suffering heavy losses.

"The plans remain unfulfilled," he said.

A day before, the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade reported that Ukrainian troops had regained control of the village of Kotlyne, near Pokrovsk. Kotlyne and Pokrovsk are connected by the T 0406 highway, which also leads to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

As Trump and Moscow align their vision, battle to stabilize Donetsk front rests on a knife edge

Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. DONETSK OBLAST – Scanning an array of nine video feeds from a command point in an abandoned summer, mortar battery commander Tymur “B…

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Russia claims to recapture village north of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast

Russian troops recaptured the village of Nikolsky in embattled Kursk Oblast, some 42 kilometers (26 miles) north of the Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Feb. 27.

Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024. After six months of fighting in the region, Russian troops have regained control of about 64% of the territory in the region, senior Russian General Staff officer Sergei Rudsky said earlier in February.

Russia's Defense Ministry claims that its troops continue to advance and push Ukrainian forces out of the salient. Kyiv has not commented on purportedly lost settlements in Kursk Oblast.

According to Rudsky, Ukrainian soldiers control about 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) out of 1,268 square kilometers (490 square miles) initially seized by Kyiv.

Russian casualties have reached nearly 40,000 in Kursk Oblast, including over 16,000 killed, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Feb. 6. Another 909 have been reportedly taken as prisoners of war.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Ukraine likely seeks to use its foothold in Kursk Oblast as leverage in potential peace talks.

Russia's forces in Kursk Oblast have been bolstered by North Korean troops, deployed last fall to help counter the Ukrainian incursion.

President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the offensive disrupted Russia's ability to carry out large-scale operations in northeastern and southern Ukraine.

Russia targets Ukraine’s supply lines in Kursk as both cling to gains ahead of peace talks

Russian forces have ramped up attacks on Ukraine’s logistic networks in Kursk Oblast, further hampering the Ukrainian effort to hold on to the Russian territory it controls ahead of potential peace talks, analysts and soldiers on the ground told the Kyiv Independent. “The Russians have been on the…

The Kyiv IndependentNatalia Yermak

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