Speaking from the White House alongside El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, former U.S. President Donald Trump pointed the finger squarely at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for fueling the war in Ukraine, a sharp and controversial statement that followed a deadly Russian strike on the city of Sumy.
“You don’t want to pick a fight with someone 20 times your size,” Trump said, referencing Russia, as he weighed in on the worsening crisis. While calling the recent attack in Sumy “terrible,” he also suggested Moscow’s move may have been a blunder. “I was told Russia made a mistake,” he added, before laying blame for the broader conflict at the feet of three men: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, and Zelensky.
“Millions have died,” Trump claimed, “because of three people—Putin, Biden, and Zelensky.” His exaggerated casualty count triggered swift reactions from fact-checkers, but Trump appeared undeterred by the criticism.
Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, had just returned from a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. The two reportedly spent over four hours discussing a possible roadmap to peace—an effort the Trump camp seems keen to frame as progress where others have stalled.
Zelensky, however, has been cool to the idea of any deal brokered from afar. Earlier this year, he invited Trump to witness the destruction in Ukraine firsthand before entertaining any talks of settlement—a gesture many saw as a challenge rather than an invitation.
With Trump’s latest remarks, tensions around the conflict—and the global political response—look poised to intensify.
