Following a tense meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 28, where Trump accused the Ukrainian President of “gambling with World War III,” Russia has reacted strongly.

Trump expressed frustration, claiming Zelenskyy was disrespecting the U.S. and putting millions of lives at risk.

In response, Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President, mocked Zelenskyy, calling him an “insolent pig” and agreeing with Trump’s criticism. Russian officials, including Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, praised Trump for not resorting to violence and accused Zelenskyy of disrespecting the U.S. and being unpleasant to everyone. Russian TV commentator Vladimir Solovyov announced plans for a special show on the incident. Despite the fallout, Zelenskyy remained firm, suggesting that some matters should be discussed privately. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer is set to meet Zelenskyy and European leaders to discuss peace efforts in Ukraine.