Following a deadly Russian missile strike that claimed 35 lives and injured 117 others in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by placing blame on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war with Russia.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said Zelensky shared responsibility with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the devastation caused by the conflict.
“You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles,” he said, also holding former U.S. President Joe Biden accountable.
Trump’s remarks came amid global outrage over Sunday’s missile attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy—the deadliest assault on civilians in Ukraine so far this year.
When asked about the attack, Trump described it as “terrible” and claimed he was informed that Russia had “made a mistake,” but offered no further explanation.
“Millions of people dead because of three people,” Trump stated. “Let’s say Putin number one, let’s say Biden who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelensky.”
Although the death toll from the war is staggering, current estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands, not millions, have been killed or injured since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.
Trump questioned Zelensky’s leadership and suggested that Ukraine’s persistent requests for military support were misguided.
“When you start a war, you got to know you can win,” he said.
“Zelensky is always looking to purchase missiles.”
Despite the well-documented fact that Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014—five years before Zelensky took office—and escalated the invasion in 2022, Trump has repeatedly blamed both Biden and Zelensky for the war.
“Biden could have stopped it and Zelensky could have stopped it, and Putin should have never started it. Everybody is to blame,” he added.
Relations between Trump and Zelensky have remained tense, particularly after their fiery exchange at the White House in February. During that meeting, Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three” and criticized him for not initiating peace talks with Russia sooner.
In contrast, Trump has worked to improve diplomatic ties with Moscow. He said he had a “great” phone conversation with Putin last month, after which the Russian leader sent him a portrait as a gift.
In February, the U.S. voted with Russia against a United Nations resolution labeling Russia as the aggressor in its war against Ukraine.
Although talks between U.S. and Russian officials have yet to secure a ceasefire, Trump expressed mixed feelings, saying he was “very angry” with Putin but maintained he had a “good relationship” with him.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who met with Putin for nearly five hours in St. Petersburg on Friday, described the talks as “compelling.” According to Witkoff, Putin’s focus was on securing “a permanent peace… beyond a ceasefire.”
Discussions included the future of five Ukrainian territories claimed by Russia and assurances of “no NATO, Article 5″—referring to NATO’s collective defense clause.
“I think we might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large,” Witkoff told Fox News on Monday.
“There is a possibility to reshape the Russian–United States relationship through some very compelling commercial opportunities that I think give real stability to the region, too. Partnerships create stability.”
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov tempered expectations, calling the talks “positive” but noting that no clear agreement had emerged.
In an interview recorded before the missile strike on Sumy, Zelensky made an emotional appeal, urging Trump to visit Ukraine before reaching any deal with Putin.
“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” Zelensky told CBS’s 60 Minutes.
On Sunday, Russian forces launched two Iskander missiles into the heart of Sumy just minutes apart, as many civilians were heading to church for Palm Sunday. The blasts destroyed a bus and left bodies scattered across a city street.
Moscow later claimed the strike targeted a meeting of Ukrainian soldiers and alleged that 60 troops were killed, though no evidence was provided to support the claim.
Trump concluded his comments by reaffirming his desire to end the conflict.
He insisted he wanted to “stop the killing” and hinted that proposals would be coming “soon,” but did not elaborate.
The war in Ukraine stems from a long-standing geopolitical struggle that began in 2014, when Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was ousted. Russia responded by annexing Crimea and backing separatist movements in eastern Ukraine—setting the stage for the ongoing war.
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