Trump again blames Zelenskyy for Russia's war on Ukraine

WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump repeated Monday his belief that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to blame for Russia's war on its eastern European neighbor, saying the Ukrainian leader started the war.

"When you start a war, you know that you can win the war, right? You don't start a war against somebody that's 20 times your size, and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The US president then appeared to redistribute blame for the start of the war to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former President Joe Biden.

"Most importantly, you have millions of people dead, millions of people dead, because of three people. I would say three people. Let's say, Putin number one, but let's say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelenskyy. And all I can do is try and stop it," he added.

Trump said he believes there will be "some very good proposals very soon" to end the war. He did not elaborate.

Russia began its war against Ukraine, which it calls euphemistically a "special military operation," in February 2022. An initial lightning offensive saw Russian tanks and helicopters close in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv before they were pushed back in the early weeks of the war.

Ground fighting has largely been focused on Ukraine's eastern regions and border cities, particularly Kharkiv, in the years since. Russian airstrikes and drone attacks have struck across the country, however, with Zelenskyy repeatedly seeking air defenses from Western allies to blunt the attacks.