US President Donald Trump has once again criticised Former US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for their handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Trump remarked, “The mistake was letting the war happen. If Biden were competent, and if Zelensky were competent—and I don’t know that he is—we had a rough session with this guy over here. He just kept asking for more and more.” He argued that stronger leadership from both leaders could have prevented the war entirely.
Claims of preventing the war
Reflecting on his first term, Trump asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin refrained from initiating any aggression against Ukraine during his time in office. “I went four years and Putin wouldn’t even bring it up. And as soon as the election was rigged and I wasn’t here, that war started,” he said. Trump attributed this to his direct warnings to Putin, stating, “I told him, don’t do it. You’re not going to do it.”
Oil prices as a key factor
Trump emphasized the role of oil prices in fueling the conflict, accusing Biden of keeping them high. He stated, “If you lowered oil prices, you would have never had the war.” Trump claimed that under his administration, lower oil prices would have prevented the invasion.
Criticism of Zelenskyy’s strategy
Trump also criticized Zelenskyy’s approach to the war, saying, “When you start a war you’ve got to know 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.”
Truth Social post: Biden’s war
On Truth Social, Trump reiterated his stance: “The War between Russia and Ukraine is Biden’s war, not mine. I just got here, and for four years during my term, had no problem in preventing it from happening. President Putin, and everyone else, respected your President!” He added, “I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WAR, BUT AM WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION TO STOP.”
Urgency to end the conflict
Trump concluded by stressing the need for swift action to stop the war: “Now we have to get it to STOP, AND FAST. SO SAD!”
