Donald Trump has once again sparked controversy, this time by suggesting that Ukraine itself is to blame for Russia’s invasion—because apparently, they just didn’t negotiate hard enough.
The former US president also hit back at Volodymyr Zelenskyy for complaining about being left out of US-Russia peace talks, saying Ukraine had years to strike a deal and could have avoided war altogether.
Trump’s take: ‘Ukraine should have made a deal’
Speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Trump didn’t hold back when asked about Ukraine’s frustration at being excluded from US-Russia talks aimed at ending the war.
“I’m very disappointed, I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat [at the talks],” he said. “Well, you’ve been there for three years… You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
That’s right—according to Trump, Ukraine, the country that got invaded, should have somehow prevented the whole thing by cutting a deal with Russia.
Zelenskyy fires back: ‘This isn’t fair’
Zelenskyy, unsurprisingly, wasn’t thrilled about the situation. He slammed the US for leaving Ukraine and European leaders out of key discussions, insisting that any real peace agreement must involve those actually affected.
“Talks are taking place between representatives of Russia and representatives of the United States. About Ukraine—again—without Ukraine,” he said.
He even postponed his own trip to Saudi Arabia, where the US-Russia talks were held, in a clear sign of frustration.
Trump ramps up pressure on Ukraine
Instead of showing support for Ukraine, Trump turned up the pressure on Zelenskyy, echoing one of Russia’s key demands—that Ukraine must hold new elections.
“They want a seat at the table, but wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have a say? It’s been a long time since we’ve had an election,” Trump argued.
He also claimed Ukraine was basically under martial law, that Zelenskyy’s approval rating had tanked to 4%, and that the country was in ruins.
Zelenskyy quickly hit back in an interview with German TV, saying he remains widely supported in Ukraine and that Russia has been trying to remove him from power since day one.
Europe is worried—Trump is getting too cosy with Putin
European leaders are starting to panic about Trump’s increasingly pro-Russia stance. His claim that he’s the only one who can strike a deal is not sitting well with Western allies.
“I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it’s going very well,” Trump said confidently.
But while Trump seems optimistic, EU officials are warning the US not to fall into Russia’s trap.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, made it clear that Europe wants peace—but not on Russia’s terms.
“Russia will try to divide us. Let’s not walk into their traps. By working together with the US, we can achieve a just and lasting peace—on Ukraine’s terms,” she tweeted.
Trump and Putin: A meeting in the works?
The biggest twist? Trump might be meeting Vladimir Putin in person before the end of the month.
After revealing he had spoken to Putin about peace talks, Trump suggested they could meet in Saudi Arabia, Moscow, or Washington in the near future.
“Probably,” he said when asked if he’d sit down with the Russian leader by the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has already shut down any NATO peacekeeping forces being involved in Ukraine, making it clear that Moscow still calls the shots.
As Trump continues to push for his mystery deal, European leaders are left wondering—is he really aiming for peace, or just handing Russia the upper hand?
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