Trump Blames Zelensky for Russia-Ukraine War Escalation
President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that the nearly three-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine, which began when Moscow's forces invaded in 2022, was due to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's failure to preemptively capitulate.
These comments were made during a pre-taped interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, which aired late Thursday.
When asked about Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Russia if the conflict persists, the president claimed Zelensky "has had enough" and "wants to settle" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He described Zelensky as "no angel" and suggested he "shouldn't have allowed this war to happen."
Trump expressed that had he been in Zelensky's position, he could have "made that deal so easily," wrongly asserting that it was the Ukrainian leader who chose to engage in hostilities, despite Putin having ordered the invasion.
The president’s claim that Zelensky initiated the conflict is inaccurate. Russian forces have been occupying parts of Ukraine since 2014 after the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. In February 2022, Putin characterised the invasion as a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine, despite the fact that Zelensky's government is not associated with Nazism.
International bodies such as the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice have condemned the invasion, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops. Trump has previously suggested negotiations to end the war and has expressed favourable sentiments towards the Russian people while maintaining a relationship with Putin.
In his recent remarks, Trump stated that if a deal is not reached "soon," he would impose "high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions" on Russian goods. He concluded by reiterating his belief that the war would not have started if he had been president and emphasised the need for an expedited resolution to prevent further loss of life.
