Trump appears to want to vilify Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky after striking a deal with Russia this week, as he now claims the Ukrainian leader “does not want to make a deal” to end the war.
The president also reiterated his age-old claim that the war would never have been started if he were in power at the time, when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday about Zelensky, Trump said, “He could’ve settled this war many times, and he chooses not to …” adding, “If the election weren’t rigged and I would have been president, that war would have never started.”
“He wants to make problems for the world, he wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers, with diesel fuel, because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world….”
“… he better damn well stop,” he growled. He also claimed it was time for Ukraine to get a “new leader”.
In a separate interview later at night, Trump told reporters, “Russia would like to make a deal,” adding, “This is something that could have been solved many times, but for whatever reason, Zelensky does not want to make a deal.”
When asked what Russia’s President Putin told him during their phone call, Trump responded, “He’d like to see a settlement.”
Trump’s comments did not impress many people online, as users were eager to point out the realities of the war in Ukraine that the president seemed unaware of.
“Ukraine was invaded. Russia is the aggressor. But he’s blaming the victim? Wild,” replied one account.
“If I remember correctly….Russia started the war. Trump started the war in Iran,” another person acknowledged. “The fact that Trump is conspiring with Russia and China should be enough for Americans to reality check what is happening on the surface, but undoubtedly behind the scenes. The Trumps are growing their personal wealth at the expense of the American people.”
Someone else added, “Yeah, because it’s totally that simple, just give up your entire country and let a dictator roll right through because standing up for your people is apparently the real problem here, make it make sense.”
Upon hearing the news that the U.S. had struck a deal with Russia to import millions of tons of their oil, Zelensky expressed frustration, slamming Trump as “weak.” He described the deal as a “gift to Putin”.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast, the Ukrainian leader met with U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the weekend, as the British leader pledged his “complete solidarity” with Ukraine.
On Saturday, Zelensky wrote on X, “British leadership is always significant, and it matters that the U.K. will continue to ramp up sanctions pressure on Russia for its escalation. We discussed this and what could truly help diplomacy work. We are preparing the right joint steps and a meeting.”
Zelensky sets one condition for halting refinery strikes as Trump threatens intelligence cutoff
Story by IdahoPublicPress Editorial Team
• 2h
The dispute over Ukraine’s drone campaign against Russian oil refineries has spilled into open friction between Kyiv and Washington, with diesel prices, sanctions policy, and Zelensky’s own political fate now tangled together.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is standing by Ukraine’s strikes on Russian oil refineries, rejecting President Donald Trump’s demand that Ukraine replace him as its leader. In a statement Sunday, Zelensky said Kyiv would halt the refinery campaign only if Russia stops attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and only with real guarantees behind any deal.
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
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