Trump blames Zelensky for Ukraine war

President Donald Trump has blamed  President Volodymr Zelensky for starting the war with Russia, a day after a deadly Russian strike killed 35 in Ukraine.

The US leader told reporters at the White House that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shared blame with Vladimir Putin for “millions of people dead,” including civilians, soldiers, and displaced victims of the war.

“You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope people give you some missiles,” he said, while also blaming his predecessor, Joe Biden, for mismanaging the crisis.

Trump’s remarks followed a massive Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday — the deadliest on civilians this year. The strike killed at least 35 people and injured 117 others.

Reacting earlier to the attack, Trump called it “terrible” and claimed Moscow “made a mistake,” but did not provide further details.

“Millions of people dead because of three people — Putin, Biden, and Zelensky,” Trump said on Monday. He questioned Zelensky’s competence, saying the Ukrainian leader was “always looking to purchase missiles” and lacked a clear war strategy.

“When you start a war, you got to know you can win,” he added.

Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Zelensky, with tensions rising after a heated February meeting at the White House. There, Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three” and delaying peace talks.

Meanwhile, Trump has moved to improve ties with Moscow. He described a recent phone call with Putin as “great,” and the Russian leader sent him a portrait afterward.

In February, the US joined Russia in voting against a UN resolution that labeled Moscow as the aggressor in the Ukraine war.

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Last Friday, US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in St Petersburg for over four hours. Talks reportedly focused on a potential settlement in Ukraine and economic cooperation.

Witkoff called the discussions “compelling” and hinted at “very important” developments ahead.

“There’s a possibility to reshape the Russian-United States relationship through compelling commercial opportunities that also bring regional stability,” he said.

In a CBS interview before Russia’s recent attack, Zelensky urged Trump to visit Ukraine before striking any peace deal with Moscow.

“Please, before any kind of decisions or negotiations, come see the people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” Zelensky pleaded.

The deadly Sumy attack struck the heart of the city on Palm Sunday. While Ukraine reported dozens of civilian casualties, Moscow claimed without evidence that its Iskander missiles targeted a meeting of Ukrainian soldiers, killing 60.

Trump said he was “very angry” with Putin but still maintained a “good relationship” with him.

He also signaled that proposals to end the conflict would emerge “soon” but declined to offer specifics.

The roots of the conflict date back to 2014, when Ukraine’s pro-Russian president was ousted, leading to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and years of insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

Reported by BBC News