Elina Svitolina dives into the tensions between American president, Donald Trump, and the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky
U.S. President Donald Trump recently criticized Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during a bilateral meeting that was televised.
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Elina Svitlovina (in circle) Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump and JD Vance (via X)
Prominent Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has expressed concerns about diminishing American support amidst geopolitical pressures, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump recently criticized Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a bilateral meeting that was televised. The tennis community remains divided over the participation of Russian and Belarusian players, complicating the atmosphere for athletes from Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict and resulting diplomatic strains.
Svitolina, along with other tennis players, faces uncertainty as she prepares for important events in the North American swing at Indian Wells and Miami. Svitolina has underscored the ongoing fight of her government to secure support, expressing hope for better outcomes while acknowledging the difficulties faced by her compatriots.
The United States has been helping us for a long time. Our government is working very hard to find ways, solutions to decisions. They are trying everything and maybe looking for other ways, other allies, or something like that. We just hope that everything will be fine. We live with unimaginable challenges, pressure, and we don’t know what awaits us tomorrow. Right now, I feel like we are even more united because we feel like the United States is not helping us much in recent weeks. So we need to unite, help each other for the country we love. Trump has just started and has already made a lot of decisions that have really hurt Ukrainians. I am really sad for all innocent people.
Elina Svitolina (H/T: The Athletic)
Elina Svitolina and other top Ukrainian players, like Marta Kostyuk, have previously advocated for a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at tournaments, mirroring the ongoing political tensions. Svitolina has time and again used her platform to increase awareness and support for her homeland.
Svitolina’s dedication to her nation is further exemplified by her philanthropic efforts. She has been actively involved in raising funds to support Ukrainian children affected by the war. This war, which began in February 2014, followed Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity, after which Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists who began fighting the Ukrainian military in the Donbas war.
In February 2022, the conflict escalated with Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, occupying more of the country, and starting the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
2025 Donald Trump–Volodymyr Zelenskyy meeting
On February 28, 2025, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a highly contentious, bilateral meet televised live in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine War. The meeting concluded abruptly without a clear resolution and without the expected signing of the Ukraine–United States Mineral Resources Agreement.
The meeting garnered headlines, particularly for the way Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance verbally attacked Zelenskyy. Among many points of criticism, Trump accused Zelenskyy of gambling with millions of lives, gambling with World War Three, and being very disrespectful to the United States. Vance questioned Zelenskyy if he had ever offered thanks, despite Zelenskyy starting the conversation by saying “Thank you so much” to Trump. Zelenskyy was eventually asked to leave, ending the negotiations.
This meeting follows previous incidents of Trump calling Zelenskyy a dictator and accusing Ukraine of starting the war, and Trump signing an executive order to freeze foreign humanitarian aid for ninety days, later defying a court order to lift the freeze. This order impacted USAID, which had pledged $16.4 billion in humanitarian aid to Ukraine in 2023.
Nearly all U.S. allies, along with prominent global figures, swiftly voiced their support for Zelenskyy following the meeting, with many issuing statements rebuking Trump’s confrontational approach. In contrast, Russian officials lauded the outcome of the meeting and directed criticism toward Zelenskyy.
In the U.S., reactions were divided along partisan lines – members of Trump’s Republican Party largely commended his conduct with few exceptions, while members of the Democratic Party strongly condemned it. The previous Biden administration, where the Democrats were in power, had strongly supported Ukraine throughout the conflict.
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