In a controversial statement following a deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bears partial responsibility for the ongoing war with Russia.
The remarks came just one day after the attack, which left at least 35 civilians dead and 117 injured, making it the deadliest assault on Ukrainian civilians so far this year, the BBC reports.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump stated, “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles,” suggesting that President Zelenskyy provoked the conflict. He added that the blame for the “millions of people dead,” a figure widely disputed, should be shared between Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Joe Biden, and Zelenskyy himself.
“Let’s say Putin is number one, Biden, who had no idea what he was doing, is number two, and Zelenskyy,” Trump said, reiterating his long-standing criticism of all three leaders.
The remarks drew sharp contrast with those of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who visited Kyiv on Tuesday in a show of support for Ukraine. Rutte condemned what he described as a “terrible pattern” of attacks on civilians, stating unequivocally, “Russia is the aggressor. Russia started this war, there is no doubt.”
Trump has previously accused both Zelenskyy and Biden of failing to prevent the war, despite the conflict’s origins dating back to 2014, five years before Zelenskyy took office. Russia annexed Crimea that year and backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, escalating into a full-scale invasion in 2022.
In a pre-recorded interview aired on CBS’s 60 Minutes, President Zelenskyy invited Trump to visit Ukraine before pursuing any negotiations with Russia. “Please, before any decisions, come to see the people; civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he urged.
Sunday’s missile strike involved two Iskander missiles launched into central Sumy within minutes of each other, striking as civilians made their way to church.