WASHINGTON —
Donald Trump on Thursday blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for helping start the war with Russiaa comment that further suggests that Trump will likely radically change US policy towards Ukraine if he wins the November 5 election.
The former Republican president has frequently criticized Zelenskyy during the election campaign, repeatedly calling him “the biggest salesman on Earth” for having requested and received billions of dollars in US military aid since the war broke out in 2022.
Trump has also criticized the Ukrainian leader for not seeking peace with Moscow, and has suggested that Ukraine may have to cede part of its territory to Russia to reach a peace deal, a concession kyiv considers unacceptable.
Trump’s comments on Thursday’s PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David went a step further from his previous criticisms. He said Zelenskyy was guilty not only of failing to end the war, but of helping to start it, even though the conflict broke out when Russia invaded sovereign Ukrainian territory.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him, because I feel really bad for those people. But I never should have let that war start,” Trump said.
Zelenskyy presented Trump with his “victory plan” to end the war during a meeting in New York in September, a meeting both leaders described as cordial.
Trump’s public comments, however, suggest he could try to reduce aid to Ukraine if he defeats Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, on November 5. The former president has repeatedly said he could end the conflict before taking office in January, but has not said how.
Harris has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine, and has described a victory for the Eastern European nation as a vital U.S. national security interest. He has frequently reproached Trump for being unwilling to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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