Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reacts as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting at the Oval Office of the White House, amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled from Kyiv to Washington, D.C. on Monday in hopes of ending Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal war against his country, but critics charge what he got instead was a “show” and a “charade” by an unserious American president who was falsely babbling about skyrocketing attendance at D.C. restaurants, blaming President Joe Biden for the war, and ranting about mail-in voting.

Some wondered why the talks between the White House and President Zelensky started with a press conference, when nothing had yet been debated or decided.

On Monday morning, in a lengthy rant on his Truth Social website, President Trump declared war on mail-in voting — just days after he had claimed that President Putin, on Friday, “said you can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting.”

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During the press event, Trump continued his attacks on mail-in voting, which exists in many countries around the world, including in Europe and Russia.

“Mail-in ballots are corrupt,” Trump told reporters, despite the President of Ukraine sitting next to him waiting, and wanting to end the war. “Mail-in ballots, you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots.”

He promised “an executive order that’s being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they’re corrupt and do you know that we’re the only country in the world, I believe, I may be wrong, but just about the only country in the world that uses them because of what’s happened: massive fraud all over the place.”

The president’s characterizations of mail-in voting are incorrect, according to studies and experts.

Trump went on about watermarked paper ballots being better, he claimed, and about his desire to get rid on voting machines — while claiming paper ballots deliver results faster.

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“It’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it, it’s the only way they can get elected , because with men and women’s sports and with transgender for everybody and open borders and all of the horrible things and now the new thing is, they love crime,” Trump declared.

The discussion about mail-in voting did not end there.

Trump appeared to say that Democrats want mail-in voting but won’t get elected if it is in place.

“I think we got to stop mail-in voting, and the Republicans have to lead the charge. The Democrats want it because they have horrible policies. If you have mail-in voting, you’re not gonna have many Democrats get elected. That’s bigger than anything having to do with redistricting, believe me,” Trump said.