NEW YORK, March 3. /TASS/. The reality in Ukraine is the opposite of democracy and freedom, even as the government in Kiev and its European allies say they are fighting for these very values, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Fox News.

"We're talking about many of these European countries and Zelensky himself, who claim to be standing and fighting for the cause of freedom and democracy, when we actually look at what's happening in reality in these countries, as well as with the Zelensky's government in Ukraine, is the exact opposite," she said.

"You have the canceling of elections in Ukraine. You have political parties being silenced or even criminalized or thrown in prison. You have the freedom of religion, churches being shut down, you have political opposition being silenced, you have total government control of the media," Gabbard continued.

"Are they aligned with the values that they claim to hold in agreement with us? The values that President Trump and Vice President Vance are standing for, and those are the values of freedom, of peace and true security," she stated.

On February 28, Zelensky met with Trump at the White House. Their televised exchange suddenly unraveled into a shouting match, with Trump scolding Zelensky for being disrespectful to the US, and Vice President JD Vance saying that Zelensky had never thanked the country for all the support provided to Kiev. A news conference scheduled to follow the meeting was canceled. The US president posted a statement to Truth Social, telling off Zelensky for being disrespectful and not ready for peace.