BRUSSELS, Feb 20: The European Union on Thursday hit back against US President Donald Trump's accusation that Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky was a "dictator".
Trump lashed out at Zelensky in a spiralling row after Washington launched peace efforts with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Kremlin's three-year war.
"We have a fairly straightforward and clear position on this: President Zelensky was legitimately elected in free, fair and democratic elections," EU spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker told journalists.
"Ukraine is a democracy, Putin's Russia is not."
Trump's broadsides against the Ukrainian leader have fuelled fears in Europe that Washington is abandoning its ally in Kyiv to secure a quick deal with Moscow.
The EU insists that both Ukraine and Europe must have a say during any negotiations.
"There can be no solution for Ukraine without the involvement of Ukraine, nor without the involvement of the European Union," de Keersmaecker said. "Ukraine's security is the European Union's security." —AFP
