Amid escalating violence in Ukraine, former U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited debate over the war’s origins, placing blame squarely on both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump asserted that the conflict, now in its third year, would have been entirely avoidable had he remained in office.
His comments follow a devastating weekend airstrike by Russia, which left numerous Ukrainian civilians dead, including children. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump condemned Putin’s actions, calling the Russian leader “crazy,” despite having previously touted a positive personal rapport.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote. “Missiles and drones are being shot into Ukrainian cities for no reason whatsoever — not just soldiers, but innocent people are dying.”
Trump also reiterated his long-standing claim that Putin’s ambitions extend beyond partial occupation. “I’ve always said he wants all of Ukraine, and maybe that’s proving true. But if he goes that far, it will mean the downfall of Russia.”
Not limiting his criticism to the Kremlin, Trump also took aim at President Zelensky. Reacting to the Ukrainian leader’s recent statement accusing Washington’s inaction of emboldening Putin, Trump fired back: “Zelensky is doing his country no favours by talking the way he does. Everything out of his mouth causes problems. I don’t like it, and it better stop.”
In a brief exchange with reporters, Trump expressed personal shock at the human cost of the conflict. “He’s killing a lot of people. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him?”
Reiterating his position as an outsider to the current administration’s decisions, Trump added, “This is Zelensky’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s war — not mine. I’m only trying to put out the big and ugly fires caused by incompetence and hatred.”
The former president’s remarks came shortly after Russia and Ukraine completed their largest prisoner exchange since the invasion began in February 2022, trading roughly 1,000 prisoners each. But the moment of relative diplomacy was overshadowed by fresh Russian attacks that claimed several civilian lives, including an eight-year-old, a 12-year-old, and a 17-year-old in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region.
In closing, Trump hinted at a more aggressive future policy toward Moscow. While some members of his party — notably Secretary of State Marco Rubio — warned that aggressive sanctions could hamper diplomatic efforts, Trump suggested he is weighing tougher economic measures in response to the renewed violence.
With the 2024 U.S. election cycle heating up, Trump’s stark comments inject a controversial edge into the foreign policy discourse — one that will likely remain central as the war rages on and the political stakes rise.
