Kremlin praises Trump for blaming Ukraine in ongoing conflict

Russian officials praised Donald Trump for blaming Ukraine for the war with Russia. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Trump the first Western leader to recognize what Russia sees as a root cause of the conflict. Trump's comments about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator," received further approval from Russian leaders. Dmitry Medvedev stated Trump was "200 percent right" about Zelensky. The U.S. recently held negotiations with Russia without involving Ukraine or the European Union, prompting concerns among Western leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting in response to Trump's remarks.