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KYIV, Ukraine 鈥� Relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump deteriorated rapidly Wednesday as Zelenskyy said Trump was living in a Russian-made 鈥渄isinformation space" and Trump called Zelenskyy 鈥渁 dictator without elections鈥� in comments that were sure to complicate efforts to end the war.

Zelenskyy also said he would like Trump鈥檚 team 鈥渢o be more truthful鈥� as he offered his first response to a series of striking claims that Trump made a day earlier, including falsely suggesting that Kyiv was to blame for the war, which enters its fourth year next week.

The comments were a staggering back-and-forth between leaders of two countries that have been staunch allies in recent years under Trump鈥檚 predecessor. While former President Joe Biden was in the White House, the U.S. provided crucial military equipment to Kyiv to fend off the invasion and used its political weight to defend Ukraine and isolate Russia on the world stage.

The Trump administration has started charting a new course, reaching out to Russia and pushing for a peace deal. Senior officials from both countries held talks Tuesday to discuss improving ties, negotiating an end to the war and potentially preparing a meeting between Trump and Putin after years of frosty relations.

Trump lashed out at Zelenskyy in a social media post that apparently referred to the fact that Ukraine has delayed elections that were scheduled for April 2024 because of the invasion.

Trump also called Zelenskyy 鈥渁 modestly successful comedian鈥� who 鈥渢alked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn鈥檛 be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and 鈥楾RUMP,鈥� will never be able to settle.鈥�

The president went on to say that the only thing Zelenskyy "was good at was playing Biden 鈥榣ike a fiddle.鈥欌�� He advised Zelenskyy to 鈥渕ove fast or he is not going to have a Country left.鈥�

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would like to meet with Trump.

Russia鈥檚 army crossed the border on Feb. 24,聽2022, in an all-out invasion that Putin sought to justify by falsely asserting that it was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine. He also accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia鈥檚 demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and to offer Moscow security guarantees. Ukraine and its allies denounced the assault as an unprovoked act of aggression.

鈥淚 would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results,鈥� Putin said Wednesday in televised remarks. He added that he would be 鈥減leased鈥� to meet Trump but noted that Trump has acknowledged that a Ukrainian settlement could take longer than he initially hoped.

The Russian leader hailed Tuesday's talks between Russian and U.S. senior officials in the Saudi capital of Riyadh as 鈥渧ery positive.鈥� He said officials who took part in the talks described the U.S. delegation to him as 鈥渃ompletely different people who were open to the negotiation process without any bias, without any condemnation of what was done in the past,鈥� and determined to work together with Moscow.

Putin said 鈥渢he goal and subject鈥� of Tuesday鈥檚 talks 鈥渨as the restoration of Russia-U.S. relations.鈥�

鈥淲ithout increasing the level of trust between Russia and the United States, it is impossible to resolve many issues, including the Ukrainian crisis. The goal of this meeting was precisely to increase trust between Russia and the United States,鈥� Putin said.

He brushed off Zelenskyy's complaints about Ukraine being left out of the U.S.-Russian talks, saying that Kyiv鈥檚 reaction was 鈥渦nfounded.鈥�

鈥淧resident Trump told me during our phone call that the United States are proceeding from the assumption that the negotiations process will involve Russia and Ukraine,鈥� Putin said. 鈥淣o one is going to exclude Ukraine out of it.鈥�

Putin also added that he was surprised to see Trump showing 鈥渞estraint鈥� regarding the European leaders who backed his rival in the U.S. election.

鈥淎ll European leaders effectively intervened directly in the U.S. elections,鈥� he said, adding that some 鈥渄irectly insulted鈥� Trump. 鈥淔rankly speaking, I鈥檓 surprised to see the newly elected U.S. president鈥檚 restraint regarding his allies, who have behaved in a boorish way to put it straight.鈥�

Putin reiterated the Kremlin鈥檚 official line that Russia never rejected the possibility of talks with Kyiv or its European allies. 鈥淭he Europeans have stopped contacts with Russia. The Ukrainian side has forbidden itself to negotiate," he said in a reference to Zelenskyy's 2022 decree that rejected any talks with Moscow.

Zelenskyy's remarks Wednesday came shortly before he was expected to meet with Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia as part of the administration's recent diplomatic blitz.

Ukraine and its European supporters have expressed concern that they weren鈥檛 invited to the talks between top American and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia, amid larger worries that the deal taking shape could be unfavorable to Kyiv.

At a news conference Tuesday, Trump showed little patience for Ukraine鈥檚 objections to being excluded. He also said, without providing the source, that Zelenskyy鈥檚 approval rating stood at 4%, while telling reporters that Ukraine 鈥渟hould have never started鈥� the war and 鈥渃ould have made a deal鈥� to prevent it.

Zelenskyy replied Wednesday at his own news conference: "We have seen this disinformation. We understand that it is coming from Russia.鈥� He said that Trump 鈥渓ives in this disinformation space.鈥�

Zelenskyy said he hoped Kellogg would walk through Kyiv and ask Ukrainians "if they trust their president? Do they trust Putin? Let him ask about Trump, what they think after the statements made by their president."

Russian state TV and other state-controlled media reacted with glee to what they portrayed as Trump鈥檚 cold shoulder to Zelenskyy.

鈥淭rump isn鈥檛 even trying to hide his irritation with Zelenskyy,鈥� the Rossiya channel said at the top of its newscast.

鈥淭rump steamrolled Zelenskyy for his complaints about the talks with Russia,鈥� the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda said.

Trump also suggested Ukraine ought to hold elections, which have been postponed due to the war and the consequent imposition of martial law, in accordance with the Ukrainian Constitution.

Zelenskyy also referred to 鈥渢he story鈥� that 90% of all aid received by Ukraine comes from the United States.

He said that, for instance, about 34% of all weapons in Ukraine are domestically produced and over 30% of support comes from Europe.

The battlefield has brought more grim news for Ukraine in recent months. A relentless onslaught in eastern areas by Russia's bigger army is grinding down Ukrainian forces, who are slowly but steadily being pushed backward at some points on the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line.

American officials have signaled that Ukraine鈥檚 hopes of joining NATO to ward off Russian aggression after reaching a possible peace agreement won鈥檛 happen. Zelenskyy says any settlement will require U.S. security commitments to keep Russia at bay.

鈥淲e understand the need for security guarantees,鈥� Kellogg, a retired three-star general, said in comments carried by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne Novyny on his arrival at Kyiv's train station.

Kellogg said he would convey what he learns on his visit to Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to 鈥渆nsure that we get this one right.鈥�

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