President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Tuesday by blaming Ukraine for the Russian invasion three years prior, suggesting that Kyiv could have reached a deal to prevent the conflict.
During remarks at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Trump critiqued Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently aired grievances about Ukraine’s exclusion from U.S.-Russia discussions held in Saudi Arabia. “Ukraine should never have let this start,” Trump stated, referring to the ongoing turmoil, and asserting his potential influence over the situation. “I believe I can bring this to an end. Things are progressing well, but I heard today, ‘We weren’t invited.’ You’ve been involved for three years. This conflict never should have begun. A deal could have been made.”
Trump further claimed, “I could have brokered an agreement for Ukraine that would have secured nearly all their land. There would have been no loss of life, no cities destroyed, not a single building damaged. But they chose a different path.”
In response to these comments, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington was not immediately available for comment.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Russia announced a breakthrough in high-level talks on Tuesday, deciding to resume embassy operations, a departure from previous American policy. President Zelenskyy expressed his discontent earlier in the day, stating that “Ukraine was left out of the loop.”
Trump has increasingly voiced opinions favoring Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming last week that he and Putin had discussions about concluding the war. In a Fox News interview last month, Trump reiterated his stance, suggesting Ukraine should not have resisted when Russia invaded.
