Former U.S. President Donald Trump has weighed in on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, placing blame on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and his successor, President Joe Biden, for the devastating conflict.
In a recent interview, Trump stated that while Putin initiated the war, it was a collective failure of leadership that allowed the crisis to escalate. He described the war as “Biden’s war,” accusing the current administration of incompetence and claiming the conflict could have been avoided under his leadership.
Asked what mistake Russia made in its invasion of Ukraine, Trump responded, “The mistake was letting the war happen.” He argued that the conflict would not have broken out if Biden and Zelensky had been “competent.”
“We had a rough session with this guy [Zelensky]. He just kept asking for more and more,” Trump said, casting doubt on the Ukrainian president’s ability to prevent the war. “That war shouldn’t have been allowed to happen. I went four years and Putin wouldn’t even bring it up. As soon as the election was rigged and I wasn’t here, that war started.”
The former president continued his attack, saying, “Biden should’ve stopped it. This was Biden’s war and I’m trying to stop it. Putin should’ve never started it. Zelensky could’ve stopped it. Everybody’s to blame.”
Trump’s remarks come in the wake of a deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday, which killed at least 34 people and wounded 83 others. Two ballistic missiles struck a crowded area as residents gathered for church services, marking one of the deadliest recent attacks in the war.
Reacting to the strike, Trump called it “a horrible thing” and said Russia “made a mistake.”
The comments are likely to stir further controversy as the war drags on and U.S. foreign policy toward the conflict continues to be a major issue in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
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