Former U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that the ongoing war in Ukraine would not have taken place “if Ukraine President Zelensky was competent,” as he vowed to “stop the killing.”
In recent comments, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President Joe Biden for their roles in the conflict, suggesting that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine had he remained in power in the U.S.
“If Biden were competent, and if Zelensky were competent, and I don’t know that he is… that war should never have been allowed to happen,” Trump stated to reporters at the White House yesterday. He further claimed, “I went four years, and Putin wouldn’t even bring it up. As soon as the election was rigged and I wasn’t here, that war started.”
He reiterated that “everybody’s to blame” for the war, asserting again, “Biden could have stopped it, and Zelensky could have stopped it, and Putin should have never started it.” Trump emphasized his previous interactions with Putin, saying, “I’m not saying that anybody’s an angel, but I went four years and it wasn’t even a question. He would never— and I told him ‘don’t do it, you’re not going to do it.'”
Trump’s remarks come as reports emerge from his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, indicating that Putin is open to a “permanent peace” deal with Ukraine. Witkoff, who met with the Russian leader last week, stated that the U.S. and Russia “might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large.”
Additionally, Trump claimed that “millions of people are dead because of three people,” naming Putin first, followed by Biden, whom he said “had no idea what the hell he was doing,” and then Zelensky.
During a meeting with the visiting president of El Salvador, Trump also dismissed Zelensky’s efforts to acquire military support, stating, “He’s always looking to purchase missiles.” He warned, “When you start a war, you got to know that you can win the war. You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”
