President Trump sought to distance himself from the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, as his promise to end the conflict quickly proved difficult to keep.
“The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is Biden’s war, not mine. “I just got here, and for four years during my term, I had no problem preventing it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “[Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin, and everyone else, respected your President!”
Trump also accused President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of “allowing this travesty to begin.”
“There were so many ways to keep it from starting. But that is the past. “Now we have to get it to stop, and fast,” Trump said.
In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office late Monday morning, Trump included Putin on the list of those at fault.
“Biden could have stopped it, and Zelenskyy could have stopped it, and Putin should have never started it,” Trump was quoted as saying. “Everybody’s to blame.”
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after massing troops along the border. The unprovoked invasion occurred almost a decade after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Trump’s post on Truth Social followed Zelensky’s appearance on “60 Minutes” Sunday night. Zelensky disputed some of the Trump administration’s claims about the conflict, and he urged Trump to visit war-torn Ukraine before making any final decisions.
The Biden administration gave Ukraine billions of dollars in military and financial aid to combat invading Russian forces. However, many outspoken Republicans, including top Trump allies, have argued that continuing to aid Ukraine is not in the US’s best interests.
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump made numerous lofty promises to end the war in Ukraine quickly. During a debate with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump stated that he would resolve the war “before I even become president.”
However, putting an end to the fighting has proven more difficult than Trump expected. He is met with Zelensky and spoken with Putin. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, recently met in person with Putin.
Zelensky has stated that he accepts the terms of a ceasefire proposed by Trump administration officials, putting the ball in Russia’s court.
Critics argue that Russia is dragging its feet and is not interested in a cease-fire as it gains ground on the battlefield. On Sunday, Russian airstrikes killed more than 30 people in Sumy, Ukraine.