US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage by blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the war with Russia, just a day after a Russian missile strike killed at least 35 civilians and injured 117 others in the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
In remarks at the White House on Monday, Trump said Zelensky bore equal blame alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing the Ukrainian leader of provoking a larger, more powerful adversary without proper preparation.
“You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles,” Trump told reporters, also criticising former US President Joe Biden for mishandling the crisis.
He described the war as the result of decisions made by “three people”: Putin, Biden, and Zelensky.
“Millions of people dead because of three people. Let’s say Putin number one, let’s say Biden who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelensky.”
Trump’s estimate of the death toll, however, is at odds with independent figures, which suggest hundreds of thousands have been killed or injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
The remarks came after Russia launched one of its deadliest attacks on civilians this year, firing two Iskander missiles at what Moscow claimed was a meeting of Ukrainian soldiers in Sumy. Russia alleged 60 soldiers were killed, though no evidence has been provided. Ukraine has reported the deaths of civilians, including women and children.
The White House comments have reignited tensions between Trump and Zelensky, who recently urged Trump to visit Ukraine before brokering any peace deal with Moscow.
“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 said in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, recorded prior to the Sumy strike.
Trump, who previously called the Sumy attack a “mistake”, said his administration was working on proposals to “stop the killing”, but offered no further details.
In a further swipe at Zelensky, Trump questioned the Ukrainian president’s judgement and motive.
“When you start a war, you got to know you can win,” he said.
The war has its roots in Ukraine’s 2014 political upheaval, when its pro-Russian president was ousted. Russia responded by annexing Crimea and supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine — setting the stage for ongoing conflict that escalated into full-blown war in 2022.
Trump’s remarks have drawn criticism from political opponents and international observers, who say his comments undermine Ukraine’s right to defend itself and could embolden Russian aggression.
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