US President Donald Trump has again compared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Phineas Taylor Barnum - a 19th-century American showman and creator of one of the most popular traveling circus acts in the country.
“I call him Barnum. They gave Barnum - that is, Zelensky - a lot of “Patriot“ systems, “Tomahawk“ missiles and everything else, without making him pay for it“, Trump said in an interview with Newsmax.
The US president was referring to the administration of former President Joe Biden. Trump did not provide specific data to support his claim that the Tomahawk missiles were provided without payment. The deliveries and possible provision of such missiles to Ukraine have repeatedly been the subject of public discussions in Washington.
Trump again accused Zelensky of declaring readiness for peace, but, according to him, not taking the necessary steps to reach an agreement. In his latest statements, the American president also stated that the war could be ended without the participation of the Ukrainian head of state.
Who is P. T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born in 1810 and died in 1891. He built a career in American show business through large-scale performances, aggressive advertising and attractions that attracted large audiences.
In 1871, Barnum began developing a traveling show that combined a circus, a menagerie and an exhibition of people with unusual physical appearance. The show gradually evolved into a company known as “Barnum and Bailey“ after James Bailey became his partner.
The history of the circus includes animals, acrobatic acts and attractions presented as sensational spectacles. Barnum's name later became associated with the idea of a showman who could attract an audience and sell highly advertised promises.
The circus continued for more than a century
After Barnum's death, the circus was sold to the Ringling Brothers in 1907 for $400,000. The two companies were run separately until 1919, when they merged into “Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey“.
The circus closed in 2017. The decision was explained by declining attendance and high costs, and disputes with animal protection organizations further increased pressure on the company.
The comparison with the creator of the famous circus is another public attack by Trump against Zelensky amid disputes over US aid to Ukraine and differences between Washington and Kiev over how the war should end.
Sources: apnews.com, interfax.ru, smithsonianmag.com