- U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disagree on the origins of the war in Ukraine, with Trump blaming Ukraine. Zelenskyy, in response, maintains Trump is misinformed and hopes for a clearer understanding of the situation.
- Trump also suggested NATO contributed to the war, a stance praised by Russia, despite NATO being a defensive alliance with voluntary membership.
- Ukraine insists it will not accept any peace agreement it wasn’t part of creating and delayed certain meetings to avoid endorsing U.S.-Russia talks.
Full Story
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are not on the same page when it comes to negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. They don’t even agree about who started it.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, while talking to reporters about Ukraine being left out of peace talks between the U.S. and Russia, Trump said Ukraine was to blame for starting the war.
Trump stated, “I think I have the power to end this war, and I think it’s going very well. But today I heard, ‘Oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have never started it. You should have made a deal.”
How did the war in Ukraine start?
Trump was wrong when he said Ukraine started the war. His comments come almost three years to the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised that the massive troop buildup on Ukraine’s border wasn’t an invasion force—a claim proven false on Feb. 24, 2022.
Zelenskyy remained diplomatic in his response to Trump’s comments. Zelenskyy told reporters that while he respects Trump, the U.S. president is living in a “space of disinformation.” Zelenskyy said he hopes Trump and his team gain a “clearer understanding” of what he called the “truth about Ukraine.”
Trump also said NATO played a part in starting the war, a position Russia’s foreign ministry applauded. However, NATO is a defensive alliance made up of 32 democracies, and all members must apply for acceptance. No nation is forced into membership, and the group remains exclusive.
Ukraine’s Stance on Peace Talks
While Ukraine, the U.S., Russia and Europe all appear ready to discuss ending the war, Ukraine said it will not accept any agreement that it didn’t help create. Zelenskyy delayed his visit to Saudi Arabia to avoid giving credit to the talks between Russia and the U.S. that took place there. However, he is still expected to meet with the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg.
The AP contributed to this report.
