Trump criticizes Zelenskyy for unwillingness to make deal to resolve war with Russia
Former US President Donald Trump has launched a sharp criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of being unwilling to negotiate a settlement to the war with Russia. According to Trump, the Ukrainian leader "refuses to make a deal" that could have prevented the devastation of his country, citing CNN.
"Those cities are gone, they’re gone, and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelensky. There was no deal that he could have made that wouldn’t have been better than the situation you have right now. You have a country that has been obliterated, not possible to be rebuilt," Trump said.
The former president also criticized the administration of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their continued support of Ukraine. Trump suggested that if he were re-elected, he would halt aid to Kyiv.
He further expressed the view that under a "competent president," the war could have been avoided.
"Every time he (Zelenskyy - ed.) came to our country, he’d walk away with $60 billion. He’s probably the greatest salesman on Earth," Trump said.
Trump also blamed Biden and Harris for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He reiterated his claim that he "got along very well" with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and "spoke to him a lot" during his presidency.
Trump has long praised Putin and even sided with him when US intelligence reported Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
For more details on the significance of Trump’s sharp remarks toward the Ukrainian leader, read RBC-Ukraine's full analysis.