Zelenskyy's 'thank you, America' post after Trump's 'zero gratitude' rant

Hours after Donald Trump accused Kyiv of showing "zero gratitude" for Washington’s efforts in the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States and praised the US President in a social-media message on Sunday.

Zelenskyy’s "Thank you, America" message dropped as US, European and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva to salvage an American-drafted peace plan that Kyiv fears tilts sharply in Moscow’s favour.

Zelenskyy wrote on X: "The leadership of the United States is important, we are grateful for everything that America and President Trump are doing for security, and we keep working as constructively as possible," he added.

The Ukrainian leader also flagged that diplomacy had been "reinvigorated," saying Kyiv expected new reports from its delegation in Switzerland. "Thank you, Emmanuel!" he wrote.

The Ukrainian president posted another lengthy message, a sweeping indictment of Russia’s conduct in the war. Zelenskyy insisted that Moscow alone started the conflict and has refused to end it, saying President Vladimir Putin was waging the invasion "with complete disregard for how many of his own people he loses and how many of ours he kills".

He condemned the explicit orders that allow Russian commanders to kill "however they please," accused Russia of abducting Ukrainian children, and warned that the Kremlin is preparing for a long, far-reaching conflict.

Zelenskyy again highlighted the role of Western support. "Ukraine is grateful to the United States, to every American heart, and personally to President Trump for the assistance that – starting with the Javelins – has been saving Ukrainian lives," he wrote.

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Zelenskyy’s comments came hours after Trump launched a blistering criticism of Ukraine’s leadership, saying Kyiv had shown "zero gratitude" despite receiving expansive military and financial aid. Trump argued that the war "would have never happened” under what he called proper leadership and repeated claims that Europe continued to fund Russia through energy imports.

The message landed soon after talks on the proposed 28-point Ukraine peace plan began in Switzerland. The US delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met Ukrainian negotiators in what Reuters described as a “stiff atmosphere.”

The US proposal, backed by Trump, requires Ukraine to cede territory, reduce its military strength and formally abandon its Nato ambitions.

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With inputs from agencies