Former US ambassador to Ukraine and Atlantic Council analyst John Herbst advised Ukrainians against responding sharply to statements coming from the United States.

“Certainly, they should not,” said the diplomat when asked if Ukrainians should react strongly to statements by US officials, as reported from the sidelines of the YES summit.

The statement follows Trump’s claims at a press conference that Zelenskyy’s approval rating had fallen to 4% and that Ukraine should hold elections before negotiations to end the war. In response, on the morning of 19 February, Zelenskyy pointed out that Trump was repeating Russian disinformation. Later that same day, Trump called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and said that the Ukrainian president should “move quickly or he won’t have a country left.”

Herbst noted that President Donald Trump becomes angry when there are reactions to his comments.

The diplomat cited an example of when the American president provoked Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who did not respond directly.

“Putin didn’t say anything. Other Russians said something, but Putin didn’t say anything. This is one case, perhaps the only one in the world, when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can learn from Putin,” Herbst added.

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