OTTAWA — Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky have engaged in a virtual spat following US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, to which Ukraine was not invited.

Trump accused Zelensky of prolonging the war and claimed that the Ukrainian leader "forced the United States to spend $350 billion on a conflict that could have been avoided." He also called Zelensky a "dictator without elections," referring to the lack of presidential elections in Ukraine, which have been postponed until martial law ends, which could continue even after a ceasefire.

Zelensky responded by accusing Trump of succumbing to Russian disinformation and violating Moscow's diplomatic isolation. "We understand where this information is coming from," Zelensky said at a news conference.

Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg met in Kyiv with Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who said Ukraine seeks "a just and lasting peace."

US Vice President J.D. Vance told The Daily Mail that Trump wants to speed up peace talks, and Zelensky's criticism only makes the situation worse.