U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for helping start that nation’s war with Russia, a comment that further suggests Trump is likely to radically shift U.S. policy toward Russia if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
“He should never have let that war start,” Trump told the YouTuber Patrick Bet-David in a podcast that lasted almost an hour and a half.
Russia launched an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukraine, with the help of Western powers, has been fighting off Moscow’s forces since then.
The United States has been Ukraine’s largest supporter, with 50 billion U.S. dollars in military aid, significantly less than Trump’s claims.
Trump questioned U.S. aid to Ukraine, as he has in the past, saying : “I think Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I’ve ever seen.
“Every time he comes in, we give him 100 billion dollars. Who else got that kind of money in history? There’s never been that.”
“That didn’t mean I didn’t want to help Ukraine, as I feel “very badly for those people.”
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, has come out strongly against giving Ukraine any assistance.
The presidential candidate repeated his oft-stated claims that if he had been president, the war would not have taken place.
He noted the war had not taken place during his four years in the White House “and it was never going to happen.”
He claimed that if he wins the election on Nov. 5, he would be able to end the war before inauguration day on Jan. 20.
Polls suggest Trump is in a dead heat in his race against Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
