WASHINGTON/KYIV — US President Donald Trump denounced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator” on Wednesday and warned he had to move quickly to secure peace or risk losing his country, deepening a feud between the two leaders that has alarmed European officials.

The extraordinary attacks — a day after Mr. Trump claimed Ukraine was to blame for Russia’s 2022 invasion — heightened concerns among US allies in Europe that Mr. Trump’s approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict could benefit Moscow.

Less than a month into his presidency, Mr. Trump has upended US policy on the war, ending a campaign to isolate Russia with a Trump-Putin phone call and talks between senior US and Russian officials that have sidelined Ukraine.

“A Dictator without Elections, Zelensky better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media, using an alternate spelling for the Ukrainian president’s name.

In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said no one could force his country to give in.

“We will defend our right to exist,” Mr. Sybiha said on X.

Later in the day while speaking to investors and executives in Miami, Mr. Trump doubled down on his comments, again calling Mr. Zelensky a “dictator” and suggesting the Ukrainian president wanted to prolong the war to “keep the gravy train going,” a reference to US military aid.

Mr. Zelensky’s five-year term was supposed to end in 2024, but elections cannot be held under martial law, which Ukraine imposed in February 2022 in response to Russia’s invasion.

Mr. Trump’s outburst followed Mr. Zelensky’s comments on Tuesday that the US president was parroting Russian disinformation when he asserted that Ukraine “should never have started” the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago.

US Vice-President JD Vance on Wednesday warned Mr. Zelensky against “badmouthing”  Mr. Trump.

“Everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration,” Mr. Vance said in his West Wing office, the Daily Mail reported.

Russia has seized some 20% of Ukraine and is slowly but steadily gaining territory in the east. Moscow said its “special military operation” responded to an existential threat posed by Kyiv’s pursuit of NATO membership. Ukraine and the West call Russia’s action an imperialist land grab.

The Ukrainian leader said Mr. Trump’s assertion that his approval rating was just 4% was Russian disinformation and that any attempt to replace him would fail.

“We have evidence that these figures are being discussed between America and Russia. That is, President Trump … unfortunately lives in this disinformation space,” Mr. Zelensky told Ukrainian TV.

The latest poll from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, from early February, found 57% of Ukrainians trust Mr. Zelensky.

Following Mr. Trump’s latest remarks, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Mr. Zelensky “sits in office after duly-held elections.” When asked who started the war, Mr. Dujarric responded that Russia had invaded Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was “false and dangerous” for Mr. Trump to call Mr. Zelensky a dictator, German newspaper Spiegel reported.

US security ally Australia, which has provided A$1.5 billion in support to Ukraine in its war with Russia, rejected Mr. Trump’s assertions about Ukraine.

Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said “the war in Ukraine must be resolved on Ukraine’s terms, because the aggressor here is Russia.” The country’s opposition leader Peter Dutton said bluntly: “I think President Trump has got it wrong.”

“Australia should stand strong and proud with the people of Ukraine. It’s a democracy, and this is a fight for civilization. Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator, and we shouldn’t be giving him an inch,” said Mr. Dutton.

A few of Mr. Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress said they disagreed that Mr. Zelensky was a dictator and that Ukraine bore responsibility for Russia’s invasion. But they stopped short of criticizing Mr. Trump directly, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune — a longtime supporter of Ukraine — saying Mr. Trump needed “space” to work on a peace deal.

EUROPE LEFT SCRAMBLING
Mr. Zelensky has suggested giving US companies the right to extract valuable minerals in Ukraine in return for US security guarantees.

He rejected a US proposal last week that would have seen Washington receiving 50% of Ukraine’s critical minerals, including lithium, a key component in electric car batteries. Mr. Zelensky told reporters on Wednesday that the deal was too focused on US interests, saying “I can’t sell our country.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, Mr. Trump claimed that Ukraine had “more or less” agreed to the proposal and complained that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was treated “rather rudely” while visiting Kyiv. He said he would seek to resurrect the minerals deal.

European officials have been left shocked and flat-footed by the Trump administration’s Ukraine moves in recent days.

At a second meeting of European leaders in Paris, hastily arranged by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day, there were more calls for immediate action to support Ukraine and bolster Europe’s defense capabilities, but few concrete decisions.

Mr. Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit Washington next week, according to White House national security adviser Mike Waltz.

Following Mr. Trump’s latest attacks, Mr. Zelensky discussed approaches to a peace settlement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Mr. Macron and Mr. Starmer, including the importance of security guarantees.

Mr. Starmer expressed support for Mr. Zelensky as Ukraine’s democratically elected leader, Mr. Starmer’s office said on Wednesday.

Keith Kellogg, the US Ukraine envoy, traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday to meet with Mr. Zelensky and said as he arrived that he understood “the need for security guarantees,” adding that part of his mission would be “to sit and listen.”

The 27-member European Union on Wednesday agreed on a 16^th package of sanctions against Russia, including on aluminium and vessels believed to be carrying sanctioned Russian oil.

Mr. Trump said he may meet Mr. Putin this month. In Moscow, Mr. Putin said that Ukraine would not be barred from peace negotiations, but success would depend on raising the level of trust between Moscow and Washington.

Mr. Putin, speaking a day after Russia and the US met in Riyadh to hold their first talks on how to end the conflict, also said it would take time to set up a summit with Mr. Trump, which both men have said they want.

Ukraine and European governments were not invited to Tuesday’s talks in the Saudi capital, which magnified their concern that Russia and the US might cut a deal that ignores their vital security interests.

Ukraine was counting on “the unity of Europe and the pragmatism of America,” Mr. Zelensky said in a video address on Wednesday.

Mr. Trump says Europe must step up to guarantee any ceasefire deal. — Reuters

HANOI — Most US manufacturers surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Vietnam said they would be likely be forced to lay off workers if the Trump administration imposed tariffs on the export-reliant Southeast Asian country.

The survey was conducted from Feb. 4-11 over the period when US President Donald Trump had already approved 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum and had pre-announced broader reciprocal tariffs on countries with trade imbalances, and sector-specific duties on semiconductors, cars and pharmaceuticals.

“Among manufacturers, nearly two-thirds foresee potential layoffs,” AmCham said, noting the percentage fell to less than half for all businesses.

The survey is based on input from more than 100 of AmCham Vietnam’s members, which include big multinational companies such as Intel and Nike.

Vietnam has profited in recent years from big investments by manufacturers that transferred operations from China after Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on Beijing in 2018 during his first term.

More than 60% of the country’s $500-billion stock of foreign investment is in manufacturing, according to data from Vietnam’s government updated to the end of January.

Foreign investors with manufacturing operations in Vietnam had largely remained upbeat after Mr. Trump’s announcements of tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada at the start of his second presidential term, according to conversations Reuters had with a dozen industry specialists.

But the mood has partly changed with the new tariff threats.

“Everybody was expecting problems but frankly we’ve been surprised by the so-called reciprocal tariffs as it is a very odd measure,” said an investment adviser with a long experience in the Communist-run country. He declined to be named to speak more freely.

Multiple analysts have said Vietnam may become a target of new duties due to its huge trade surplus with the US, the fourth biggest among US partners, and may be hit hard by tariffs on semiconductors as it is one of the top chip exporters to the US.

Investors in Vietnamese shares accelerated sales in recent weeks.

NEW EXPORT MARKETS
The survey, conducted by the AmCham section in Vietnam’s business hubs of Ho Chi Minh City and Danang, found that 81% of respondents expressed concern about potential tariffs, with the percentage growing to 92% among manufacturers.

“Many businesses fear that increased costs due to tariffs could disrupt supply chains and force them to rethink their operations,” AmCham said in a press release, noting 94% of manufacturers expected a negative impact.    

AmCham said 41% of respondents were considering diversifying their business away from the US market, which is the most important for Vietnam at the moment.

“This shift could see companies redirecting exports to other markets or adjusting supply chains to reduce their reliance on the US,” AmCham said.

Companies in other countries are also expressing concern about the impact of US tariffs. Almost nine out of 10 Japanese firms expect Mr. Trump’s policies to negatively affect business, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday. — Reuters

WASHINGTON — The US State Department said on Thursday it has ordered a pause on all of its media subscriptions as part of government-wide efforts by the Trump administration to cut spending it deems as unnecessary.

President Donald Trump has put tech billionaire Elon Musk in charge of a government downsizing team, DOGE, that has swept through federal agencies searching for spending cuts as part of Mr. Trump’s overhaul and shrinking of the US government.

“The Department has paused all non-mission critical contracts for media subscriptions that are not academic or professional journals,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.

“Bureaus and posts can request an exemption with justification as to why the access is mission critical, how it aligns with the Secretary’s priorities, and how it impacts the safety, security, and welfare of the workforce.” The State Department did not say how long the pause would last.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said all government spending must align with Mr. Trump’s America First priorities.

The Washington Post, which first reported the order on media subscriptions on Wednesday, also cited a State Department memo that directed staff to prioritize the termination of contracts with the Economist, the New York Times, Politico, Bloomberg News, the Associated Press and Reuters.

The State Department did not respond to a query about the memo, which Reuters was unable to independently confirm.

A Reuters spokesperson said: “As a matter of policy, Reuters does not comment on commercial agreements.”

New York Times spokesperson Charlie Stadtlander said: “Public officials, just like private sector Americans, need reliable information to do their jobs. The government is obviously free to cancel any subscriptions it likes. But the main result of blacklisting independent news is that these agencies and offices will know far less about what’s happening in the world. It’s hard to imagine how that will serve the people of the United States.”

The other media companies mentioned in the memo reported by the Washington Post did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Reuters’ parent company Thomson Reuters separately said last week that Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk had “inaccurately represented” its business with the US Department of Defense, after they publicly criticized a Pentagon contract with a division of the company to work on cyber threats.

Mr. Trump has long criticized media companies over their coverage of him and his policies.

The president said on Tuesday he will block the Associated Press (AP) from the Oval Office and Air Force One over its policy to continue referring to the Gulf of Mexico despite an executive order he signed in January directing his administration to change the name to the Gulf of America.

In response, the AP said it will refer to the Gulf by its original name to ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to readers around the world, while acknowledging the new name Mr. Trump has chosen.

The White House in early February ordered the canceling of subscriptions to news outlet Politico after it became a target of criticism for receiving payments from the US Agency for International Development for subscriptions to its premium news service POLITICO Pro. — Reuters