President Donald Trump claimed in part two of a televised interview that the nearly three-year-old war between Russia and Ukraine that started when Moscow’s forces kicked off an invasion in 2022 was the fault of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s failure to preemptively capitulate before Russian troops began their attack.
Trump made the incendiary comments in a pre-taped interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that aired Thursday on Hannity’s program.
After Hannity asked about Trump’s threat to impose tariffs as a penalty on Russia if the Ukrainian war continues much longer, Trump responded that Zelensky “has had enough” and “wants to settle” with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky, he said, is “no angel” and “shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen,” even though it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.
“First of all, he’s fighting a much bigger entity, okay, much bigger. When he was, you know, talking so brave... Zelensky was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful. He shouldn’t have done that, because we could have made a deal, and it would have been a deal that would have been, it would have been a nothing deal,” Trump claimed.
He added that had he been in Zelensky’s position he could have “made that deal so easily.” He claimed that it was the Ukrainian leader who decided on hostilities even though it was Putin who ordered the invasion of Ukraine that violated a 1994 agreement. Russia and the United States agreed then to guarantee Kyiv’s security in exchange for Ukraine’s government giving up Soviet-era nuclear weapons that had been stored there before the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.
“I could have made that deal so easily. And Zelensky decided: ‘I want to fight,’” he baselessly claimed.
The president’s contention that Zelensky, with whom he has a checkered history dating back to his first four years in the White House, decided to initiate hostilities against Russia is absolutely false.
Off you pop Kier, don’t forget to take Wes and Lammy with you.Tough guy
Starmer ready to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if peace deal reached
It is understood to be the first time the PM has been explicit about sending British peacekeepers to Ukrainewww.theguardian.com
What's happened since then?Ben Wallace
Tough guy
Starmer ready to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine if peace deal reached
It is understood to be the first time the PM has been explicit about sending British peacekeepers to Ukrainewww.theguardian.com
Otto English, fresh from stopping Brexit, is now advocating for a European army and anybody that disagrees with him is a Putin supporter.
It's a strange turn from the centrist hacks really, in the not too distant past Russia was an ageing force being killed in great numbers on their way to heavy defeat in Ukraine. Now they're going to invade Europe. It's hard to keep up.
I mean it's pretty obvious what the difference is.
Not if you’re a tankie.
I want it brought to an end with Russia’s military defeat or complete withdrawal. Putin could leave the territory today and we’d have peace tomorrow.
Why allow him a slice of territory that isn’t his?
Was Crimea ever formally signed over?The strange thing is I’ve never seen you label Obama an appeaser of Putin
Was Crimea ever formally signed over?
Is this going to be another exercise of you blaming someone else for Russia trying to wipe countries off the map?sorry that’s very lame
The Long, Destructive Shadow of Obama’s Russia Doctrine
A series of bad decisions during the Obama years prepared the ground for Vladimir Putin’s war.foreignpolicy.com
Is this going to be another exercise of you blaming someone else for Russia trying to wipe countries off the map?
I would be confident in saying Obama’s handling of the presidency was far superior to Trump and Bush while still leaving much to be desired domestically and abroad.No it’s just interesting how to criticise Bush as an idiot and Trump an orange idiot but look the other way when one of your hero’s actually acted in exactly the same way
I would be confident in saying Obama’s handling of the presidency was far superior to Trump and Bush while still leaving much to be desired domestically and abroad.
He did at least strike a nuclear deal with Iran, restore relations with Cuba and eliminate bin Laden. The present incumbent wants to ‘take’ Gaza, absorb Greenland and Canada and rinse Ukraine dry while letting Putin have everything he wants. Bush of course started the war in Iraq which threw the region into chaos for decades after.
That theme was proven correct less than a decade later.I’m talking specifically about Russia as oddly that’s what this thread is about
The reality is Obama did nothing when Russia occupied Crimea. Your constant theme here is that Putin will take more if he’s not challenged
Well that started in 2014 and not now
I agree with Obama on this by the way
That theme was proven correct less than a decade later.
No. Letting him take Crimea was a mistake.So you agreed with Obama and his approach to Putin?
No. Letting him take Crimea was a mistake.
And the small crime of doing nothing when they covered up a passenger plane being shot out the sky and people murdered.I’m talking specifically about Russia as oddly that’s what this thread is about
The reality is Obama did nothing when Russia occupied Crimea. Your constant theme here is that Putin will take more if he’s not challenged
Well that started in 2014 and not now
I agree with Obama on this by the way
And the small crime of doing nothing when they covered up a passenger plane being shot out the sky and people murdered.
I’m talking specifically about Russia as oddly that’s what this thread is about
The reality is Obama did nothing when Russia occupied Crimea. Your constant theme here is that Putin will take more if he’s not challenged
Well that started in 2014 and not now
I agree with Obama on this by the way
What is your point?
Obama was too weak so it's OK for Trump to bend over for Putin?
The obvious lesson from that is Obama was far too weak so this time round the West should be much firmer, not less.
Person in agreeing with someone on some things but not others shockerBut it’s Obama
Person in agreeing with someone on some things but not others shocker
Person in agreeing with someone on some things but not others shocker
11 years ago? I have no idea. Not that whether or not I did has any relevanceDid you say anything in 2014 about Crimea on here?
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