US President Donald Trump has ignited controversy by blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war with Russia, just a day after a devastating missile attack by Russian forces killed 35 civilians and injured 117 others in the Ukrainian city of Sumy.
In comments made at the White House on Monday, Trump accused Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former US President Joe Biden of being collectively responsible for what he described as “millions of people dead.” He added, “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”
Trump’s remarks drew backlash for seemingly ignoring the fact that Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, years after first annexing Crimea in 2014. The death toll from the war, while catastrophic, is estimated in the hundreds of thousands—not millions.
While acknowledging the attack in Sumy as “terrible,” Trump downplayed it by claiming he was told Russia had “made a mistake,” without offering further details. In a shift of blame, he continued, “Biden could have stopped it, Zelensky could have stopped it, and Putin should have never started it. Everybody is to blame.”
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky have been high since their heated exchange in Washington in February, where Trump accused the Ukrainian leader of “gambling with World War Three” for not starting peace talks with Moscow sooner.
Trump also emphasized his improving relationship with Moscow, noting a “great” phone call with President Putin last month and revealing that the Russian leader sent him a portrait as a gift. The US also controversially sided with Russia in a UN vote in February that rejected a resolution naming Russia as the aggressor in the war.
Despite ongoing civilian deaths, including Sunday’s deadly missile strikes in Sumy that targeted civilians on Palm Sunday, Trump maintained that peace could be near. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in St Petersburg last week and said talks focused on a potential “permanent peace,” involving discussions on Russian-claimed Ukrainian territories and NATO’s Article 5 defense clause.
Ukrainian President Zelensky, speaking before the Sumy attack, urged Trump to visit Ukraine before making any deals with Moscow. “Please, before any decisions, come to see the civilians, warriors, hospitals, and children destroyed or dead,” he pleaded.
The Kremlin has been cautiously optimistic, calling the recent diplomatic contacts with the US “positive,” but admitting there are no concrete agreements yet.
As the conflict enters its third year, Trump’s rhetoric and diplomatic approach continue to stir concern among Ukraine’s allies, while civilian casualties in the war zone remain tragically high.
