U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shares responsibility with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the ongoing war in Ukraine, which he claims has resulted in “millions of people dead.”
Speaking to reporters during a meeting with El Salvador’s president at the White House, Trump emphasized the importance of strategic foresight in warfare. “When you start a war, you have to know you can win,” he said, while also pointing a finger at President Joe Biden for his role in the conflict.
Trump’s remarks come in the wake of international condemnation over Russia’s deadliest civilian strike this year, which hit the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday. While Trump had earlier referred to the attack as a “mistake,” he reiterated his belief that the blame for the war lies with three leaders.
“Millions have died because of three people,” he said Monday. “First, Putin; second, Biden, who had no idea what he was doing; and third, Zelensky.”
While Trump cited “millions” of deaths, official estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed or injured since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Casting doubt on Zelensky’s leadership, Trump criticized the Ukrainian president for continually seeking foreign military support. “You can’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then just hope others will hand you missiles,” Trump remarked.
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky have been simmering since their contentious encounter at the White House in February. In a recent interview—conducted prior to Russia’s latest assault—Zelensky called on Trump to visit Ukraine before attempting to negotiate peace with Putin.
“Before making any decisions or starting negotiations, I urge him to see the destruction: the civilians, soldiers, hospitals, churches, even the children who’ve been killed,” Zelensky told CBS’s 60 Minutes.
The missile strike on Sumy resulted in at least 35 civilian deaths and injured 117 people. Russia claimed it had targeted a gathering of Ukrainian troops using Iskander missiles, alleging 60 soldiers were killed, though it offered no evidence.
Despite his criticism, Trump said he is eager to end the violence and hinted that peace proposals may be on the way—though he provided no further details.
