President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, blaming both leaders for the ongoing war in Ukraine.
While taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump decried Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden’s handling of the conflict, saying the war would have never started under his leadership. But he also didn’t shy away from bashing Putin, who has largely been spared from Trump’s criticism.
“That’s a war that should have never been allowed to start and Biden could have stopped it and Zelenskyy could have stopped it and Putin should have never started it,” Trump said. “Everybody is to blame.”Trump added: “If Biden were competent and if Zelenskyy were competent, and I don’t know that he is, we had a rough session with this guy — he just kept asking for more and more.”
The criticism of Zelenskyy comes a little over a month after the two leaders’ televised sparring in the Oval Office, where Trump accused Zelenskyy of taking advantage of the U.S.
Earlier Monday, Trump launched a social media tirade on Biden and Zelenskyy, in which he said the pair “did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin.” Trump’s comments also come less than a day after the president referred to Russia’s Sunday missile strike on Ukraine in Sumy — which killed at least 35 people and injured 100 more — as a “mistake.”
“I think it was terrible. And I was told they made a mistake,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening. “But I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.” Other members of the Trump administration have been critical of Russia’s role in the attack.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, said in a post on X that Russia’s move “crosses any line of decency.” “As a former military leader, I understand targeting and this is wrong. It is why President Trump is working hard to end this war.”
Zelenskyy on Sunday accused Vice President JD Vance of “somehow justifying” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during an interview for CBS’ “60 Minutes.” He also invited Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the destruction brought on by Russia’s invasion.
“You think you understand what’s going on here. OK, we respect your position. … But, please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he said.
Vance fired back at Zelenskyy on Monday, further signaling the degrading relations between the White House and Kyiv. Vance’s press secretary, Taylor Van Kirk, said Zelenskyy’s comments were “counterproductive to the goal of achieving peace for his country” in a statement to POLITICO.
“The Vice President has repeatedly said that this war was not justified to begin with and is the product of Joe Biden’s weakness and incompetence,” Van Kirk added. “Instead of mischaracterizing Vice President Vance’s rhetoric, President Zelensky should be focused on bringing this conflict to a peaceful conclusion.”
Trump decried CBS’ Zelenskyy interview — without mentioning him by name — in a post on Truth Social Sunday night, referring to the network as a “dishonest political operative” that should lose its broadcast license. Trump is suing the network’s news program for $20 billion over an interview it conducted with his 2024 opponent then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump said repeatedly on the campaign trail that he would end Russia’s war on Ukraine in “24 hours” if he were elected president.
