Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of helping to start the war with Russia, Reuters reported. The agency pointed out that this position additionally suggests that the former US president – if he wins the presidential election – will radically change the US policy towards Ukraine.
Former president USA Donald Trump he often criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the election campaign, repeatedly calling him the “biggest salesman in the world” for seeking and receiving multi-billion US military aid since the outbreak of the war in 2022, Reuters emphasized.
Trump also sharply criticized the Ukrainian leader for not seeking peace with Moscow and suggested that Ukraine might have to give up Russia part of its territory in order to conclude a peace agreement – according to Kiev, such a situation is unacceptable.
Trump blames Zelensky for the war with Russia
Reuters emphasized that Donald Trump's comments on Thursday's PBD podcast with Patrick Bet-David went a step further than his previous criticism. He said Zelensky was to blame for not only failing to end the war, but also helping to start it, even though the conflict broke out when Russia invaded Ukraine's sovereign territory.
– That doesn't mean I don't want to help him, because I feel very sorry for these people. But he should never have allowed this war to start. The war is lost, Trump said.
Former US President Donald TrumpERIK S. LESSER/PAP/EPA
During their September meeting, Zelensky presented Trump with his “victory plan” to end the war – and both emphasized that the meeting was cordial.
Reuters estimates that Trump's public comments suggest that he could seek to withhold aid to Ukraine if he defeats Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election on November 5. Trump has repeatedly said he could end the conflict before taking office in January, but has not said how.
Harris vowed to continue supporting Ukraine and portrayed Kiev's victory as a vital U.S. national security interest. She often criticized Trump for not wanting to stand up to the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Main photo source: ERIK S. LESSER/PAP/EPA