4 months ago
28
President Trump connected Wednesday ratcheted up his disapproval of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of taking vantage of the United States and saying helium has done a "terrible job" starring his war-torn country.
Trump went aft Zelensky and questioned U.S. enactment for Ukraine successful its warfare against Russia a time aft he appeared to blame the Ukrainian person for starting the conflict. Zelensky responded to those earlier comments by saying Trump "lives successful this disinformation space."
"Think of it, a modestly palmy comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to spell into a War that couldn’t beryllium won, that ne'er had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and 'TRUMP,' volition ne'er beryllium capable to settle," Trump posted Wednesday connected Truth Social.
He questioned wherefore the United States has spent billions of dollars successful enactment of Ukraine and wherefore the Biden medication did not request Europe enactment successful an adjacent amount, fixed its proximity to the conflict.
"He refuses to person Elections, is precise debased successful Ukrainian Polls, and the lone happening helium was bully astatine was playing Biden 'like a fiddle,'" Trump wrote of Zelensky. "A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy amended determination accelerated oregon helium is not going to person a Country left.
"In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an extremity to the War with Russia, thing each admit lone 'TRUMP,' and the Trump Administration, tin do. Biden ne'er tried, Europe has failed to bring Peace, and Zelenskyy astir apt wants to support the 'gravy train' going," Trump continued. "I emotion Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a unspeakable job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS person unnecessarily died – And truthful it continues….."
Russia launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, aft amassing troops connected the borderline and demanding a prohibition connected Ukraine ever joining NATO. The penetration took spot astir a decennary aft Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine successful 2014.
Ukraine postponed its 2024 statesmanlike elections due to the fact that of martial instrumentality being successful spot amid the Russian invasion.
Top Trump medication officials met Tuesday successful Saudi Arabia with Russian officials successful the archetypal measurement toward negotiating a ceasefire statement successful Ukraine. The gathering did not see Ukrainian officials, which irked Zelensky.
Trump vowed to extremity the warfare during his statesmanlike campaign. He has shrugged disconnected questions astir which enactment is astatine responsibility oregon whether Ukraine is an equal member of bid talks, saying helium wants the sidesplitting to stop.
His rhetoric astir ending the war, and the information that helium spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin past week earlier talking to Zelensky, has marked a displacement successful posture from the Biden administration, which championed the conception of "nothing astir Ukraine without Ukraine."
Trump connected Tuesday was sharply critical of Zelensky erstwhile asked by reporters astir the gathering successful Saudi Arabia.
“Today I heard, ‘Oh, good we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been determination for 3 years,” helium said of Ukraine. “You should’ve ended it successful 3 years. You should person ne'er started it. You could person made a deal."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth past week called it “unrealistic” for Ukraine to instrumentality to its pre-2014 borders arsenic portion of a ceasefire statement with Russia, oregon to summation NATO membership. Those comments sparked criticism, arsenic immoderate saw it arsenic giving distant negotiating leverage for Ukraine earlier bid talks began successful earnest.
As of the extremity of fiscal twelvemonth 2024, Congress had approved astir $183 billion successful Ukraine aid, according to a national authorities oversight office.
A Jan. 20 release from the State Department said the U.S. had provided astir $66 cardinal successful subject assistance to Ukraine since February 2022, arsenic good arsenic billions of dollars successful different forms of support.
Updated astatine 11:35 a.m. EST
