Washington:
President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should not have resisted Russia’s invasion, citing the significant power imbalance between the two nations, in a Fox News interview. “Zelenskyy was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful,” Trump said, emphasising that Russia’s superior military might made resistance futile. “He shouldn’t have done that, because we could have made a deal”.
Trump’s stance on the conflict is rooted in his belief that Zelenskyy should have negotiated a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid the war. “I could have made that deal so easily, and Zelenskyy decided that ‘I want to fight,'” Trump claimed, implying that Zelenskyy’s decision to resist was misguided. This perspective is in stark contrast to that of former President Joe Biden, who consistently supported Ukraine’s right to defend itself and imposed sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict has resulted in devastating losses, with estimated casualties in the hundreds of thousands. Despite the severity of the situation, Trump has expressed skepticism about Zelenskyy’s leadership suggesting that he should have prevented the war from occurring. However, he also added that if Russia does not move to “settle this war soon,” the US would impose “massive tariffs” and “big sanctions” on Russia. Meanwhile, Biden has praised Zelenskyy’s leadership and provided significant aid to Ukraine.
In September, Trump met Zelenskyy and said that he would work a deal “that’s good for both sides”. Before meeting him, he had told the reporters “We’re going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled and get it worked out.”
Trump’s comments on the conflict have also raised questions about his approach to foreign policy. While he has claimed that he would end the war within one day, his remarks on Ukraine’s decision to resist Russia’s invasion have sparked concern about his understanding of the conflict and its complexities. Moreover, the war’s end does not seem to be in sight.