Donald Trump blames Volodymyr Zelenskyy for starting war with Russia

Former US President Donald Trump blames Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the war in Ukraine. Photo / Getty Images

• Donald Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for starting the war with Russia and failing to seek peace.
• Trump’s comments suggest a potential shift in US policy on Ukraine if he wins the election.
• Vice-President Kamala Harris has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine and rebuked Trump for his stance.

Donald Trump has blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for helping start that nation’s war with Russia, a comment that further suggests Trump is likely to radically shift US policy on Ukraine if he wins the US election.

The Republican former President has frequently criticised Zelenskyy on the campaign trail, repeatedly calling him “the greatest salesman on Earth” for having solicited and received billions of dollars of US military aid since the war broke out in 2022.

Trump has also slammed the Ukrainian leader for failing to seek peace with Moscow, and he has suggested Ukraine may have to cede some of its land to Russia to make a peace deal, a concession Kyiv considers unacceptable.

Trump’s comments on the PBD Podcast on Thursday with Patrick Bet-David went a step further than his previous criticism.

Donald Trump has slammed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy (pictured) for failing to seek peace with Moscow. Photo / AFP

He said Zelenskyy was to blame not only for failing to end the war, but for helping start it, even though the conflict broke out when Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him because I feel very badly for those people. But he should never have let that war start. The war’s a loser,” Trump said.

Zelenskyy presented his “victory plan” to end the war to Trump during a meeting in New York in September, an encounter both leaders described as cordial.

Trump’s public comments, however, suggest he could seek to wind down aid for Ukraine if he defeats Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, on November 5. He has repeatedly said he could end the conflict before he takes office in January, but has not said how.

Harris has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine and she has portrayed a victory for the eastern European nation as a vital US national security interest. She has frequently rebuked Trump for being unwilling to stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.