(This Oct. 17 story was corrected to say Russia instead of Ukraine in paragraph 1)
Per Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump on Thursday blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for helping start that nation’s war with Russia, a comment that also suggests Trump is likely to radically change U.S. policy toward Russia if he wins the election. on November 5.
The former Republican president has frequently criticized Zelenskiy during his 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 also criticized the Ukrainian leader for not seeking peace with Moscow and suggested that Ukraine might have to cede some of its territory to Russia to reach a peace deal, a concession kyiv views as unacceptable.
Trump’s comments on Thursday’s PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David went a step further than his previous criticisms. He said Zelenskiy 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 he should have never let that war start. War is a loser,” Trump said.
Zelenskiy 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.
However, Trump’s public comments suggest he could try to reduce aid to Ukraine if he defeats Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, on Nov. 5. He has repeatedly said he could end the conflict before taking office in January, but has not said how.
Harris has pledged continued support for Ukraine and has portrayed a victory for the Eastern European nation as a vital U.S. national security interest. He has frequently chided Trump for being unwilling to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.