"United States is not helping us" - Elina Svitolina "sad" as she addresses Donald Trump's attack on Ukraine President Zelenskyy

Elina Svitolina expressed her grief on the current status quo after President Trump had a heated exchange with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office on 28 February 2025. This led Zelenskyy to exit the meeting early and indicated a deteriorating relationship between the two nation-states.

Svitolina, one of the four Ukrainians to feature in the WTA Top 100 rankings, along with Marta Kostyuk, Dayana Yastremska and Anhelina Kalinina, had taken many welfare and redevelopment actions in Ukraine through her foundation. She also travelled to the country last month to conduct a day-long sports camp and provide mental health support for distressed children.

The star player, who is set to play in Indian Wells in a few days at the BNP Paribas Open, opened up on the deep sense of anguish that she feels over this incident. In an exclusive report by The Athletic, she drew light over how unity amongst countrymen plays a pivotal role in these tough times while lamenting President Trump's actions:

“So we have to unite, we have to help each other, for the country that we love. Trump just started and already made a lot of decisions that really hurt the Ukrainians. I’m just really sad for all innocent people,” she said.

Svitolina added:

Right now, I feel like we are united even more because we feel like the United States is not helping us much for the past few weeks.

Elina Svitolina had also shown solidarity with her compatriots as Ukraine overcame three years of brutality by Russia.

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Elina Svitolina's emotional message for Ukrainians on three years of Russian Invasion

Elina Svitolina at the Wimbledon 2024 - Source: Getty

Tennis star Elina Svitolia sent out a heart-touching message to her fellow countrymen as Ukraine completed three years of invasion and brutality by the Russian Federation. She took to X to show love to the people of the country who have coped with the oppression for all these years and lauded the armed forces for their bravery.

"Despite all the suffering, Ukraine stands strong. Our people continue to fight-not just for our land, but for our right to exist, for our democracy, for our future. The bravery of our soldiers, the determination of our citizens, and the unbreakable will of our nation inspire the world every single day," she wrote. (an excerpt from her message)

Svitolina had also worn a black ribbon last year at her Round of 16 match against China's Wang Xingyu at the Wimbledon, in an act of condemnation of the Russia's bombing at a children's hospital in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine.