- A Ukrainian Bournemouth player reportedly called Donald Trump a ‘f****r’
- The US president had a public spat with President Volodymyr Zelensky this week
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Illia Zabarnyi appeared to label Donald Trump a ‘f****r’ in a now-deleted social media post, after the US president abruptly halted peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this week.
Trump kicked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky out of the White House after a blistering Oval Office shouting match between the two leaders. Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine completely if Zelensky did not agree to his peace terms and also accused Zelensky of not being grateful.
The unprecedented scene left Ukraine’s future in doubt as the country fights for its life, and was unlike anything ever seen publicly in the Oval Office. And it played out on TV screens across the world.
Zabarnyi, a Bournemouth player and Ukrainian international, made his feelings towards Trump known on TikTok, where the 22-year-old posts daily videos of himself taking ice baths.
‘It’s also worth adding, what a f*cker Trump is,’ Zabarnyi reportedly captioned his post before changing it.
The posts remains on his TikTok account, but is now only captioned with some generic hashtags.
Ukrainian Bournemouth player Illia Zabarnyi appeared to call Donald Trump a ‘f****r’ on TikTok
Trump and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky had a public spat on Friday, leading to Zelensky reportedly being kicked out of the White House
Zabarnyi has previously revealed that he thought about fighting for the Ukrainian military
Last year, Zabarnyi admitted that he has considered abandoning football to go and fight for the Ukrainian military, but implied that his voice as a public figure is more impactful.
‘I thought about going back to fight. I can just grab a weapon and learn,’ he told The Times. ‘I can say, “Stop, I don’t want to play football” but no, I have to play. Ukrainian people need me to tell the world.’
Zabarnyi has been outspoken about the Russia-Ukraine conflict on multiple occasions, most recently at Euro 2024, when he hailed his countrymen at war before the competition kicked off.
‘I think the fact I am here now, it’s down to our warriors who defend our country,’ he said in June 2024. They are incredible people who with bravery win everything. I am so grateful to them.
‘The major difference with the previous Euros is that, because there is war in our country and it’s very difficult when you wake up and you think what happens to your friends at home. Of course it can pressurise everyone, but it adds great motivation to come on to the pitch and to do everything possible.
‘For us, it’s a very emotional moment when you see Ukraine flags in the stadium… It’s just when you are just checking news, what’s going on at home, it’s difficult to put it into words [the feeling].
‘I just want to say thanks to everyone who supports us. It’s important, not only for football in Ukraine, but all our lives, because every day our country wakes up to alarms and it’s difficult.
‘Children, women, civilians… a lot of people die every day. I think it needs to stop and of course it will be an emotional moment before kick off.’
