Donald Trump Jr., son of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, shared an Instagram clip on Nov. 10 mocking President Volodymyr Zelensky and indicating that Ukraine would soon lose aid from the United States.
The post comes less than a week after Trump Jr.'s father was re-elected president.
Trump Jr. reposted an Instagram clip featuring an image of Zelensky with the caption: "POV (point of view): You're 38 days from losing your allowance."
The "38 days" may reference Dec. 17, the date when U.S. electors meet to cast their votes for president and vice president based on the results of the Nov. 5 vote.
Trump has repeatedly criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine, calling Zelensky "the greatest salesman on earth" and vowing to get the U.S. "out" of the war as soon as possible. Trump also led congressional Republicans to obstruct aid to Kyiv in a drawn-out legislative battle while Ukrainians on the front lines suffered an ammunition shortage.
The circumstances for Ukraine are no less dire today: Russia continues to advance in the east, seizing territories despite high personnel losses, and aerial attacks against Ukraine's cities are intensifying as winter nears.
Trump reportedly told Russian President Vladimir Putin not to escalate the war during a phone conversation two days after the election, according to the Washington Post. The following days were marked by record-breaking drone strikes.
U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to deliver the remaining $6 billion in congressionally-allotted aid to Kyiv before Trump takes office on Jan. 20 of next year.
Trump Jr. has previously argued that Ukraine should not be granted permission to use long-range Western missiles against targets in Russia and has called on Kyiv to "de-escalate" the war.
Chris York
