U.S. President Donald Trump sparked controversy on Tuesday by stating that Ukraine was responsible for Russia’s invasion of its territory, which began almost three years ago.
Speaking while U.S. and Russian foreign ministers met in Riyadh for negotiations aimed at restoring relations and ending the war in Ukraine, Trump criticized Ukraine’s response to not being invited to the talks.
“Today I heard, ‘Well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it three years ago. You should have never started it,” Trump said. “You could have made a deal earlier,” he added.
Trump, who returned to the White House less than a month ago, claimed that if he had been in power when the war began in February 2022, he would have brokered a deal that would have given Ukraine “almost all of the land—everything, almost all of the land” while preventing casualties and destruction.
He emphasized his desire for peace, stating he no longer wants to see so many people killed. He also supported holding elections in Ukraine, a demand that Russia has pushed for.
“This is not something from Russia; this is something that comes from me and from many other countries,” Trump said.
Russia has argued that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s term expired in May, and therefore, Ukraine should hold elections. However, Kyiv maintains that Zelensky’s mandate remains valid under martial law, which has been in place since the invasion.
Ukraine last held presidential elections in 2019.
Zelensky: Trump lives in a bubble of Russian misinformation
Zelensky also responded to Donald Trump’s comments, accusing the former U.S. president of falling victim to Russian propaganda.
“President Trump, whom we greatly respect as the leader of the American people, unfortunately lives in a bubble of misinformation,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that this disinformation originates from Russia.
He further warned that Russia is run by “pathological liars” who cannot be trusted.
“We must never forget that Russia is ruled by pathological liars. One cannot trust it, and they must be put under pressure,” Zelensky posted on social media.
On Tuesday, Trump praised his discussions with Moscow as “very good” and implied that Ukraine was responsible for the war, which began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
