President Donald Trump on Tuesday placed blame on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the ongoing war with Russia, asserting that Ukraine “should have never started it” and could have negotiated a deal to avoid the devastating conflict.

Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Trump repeated his long-standing claim that Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine would never have happened under his presidency and doubled down on his promise to end the war swiftly if reelected.

“I think I have the power to end this war,” Trump told reporters, referencing a high-level U.S.-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier that day—one that notably excluded Ukrainian representatives. “Today I heard, ‘Oh, well we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years,” Trump said, directing his frustration at Zelensky’s leadership.

“You should’ve ended it in three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”

Trump further claimed that, had he been in office, he would have secured a negotiated settlement that would have given Ukraine “almost all of the land” it wanted while preventing bloodshed and destruction.

Trump’s comments followed a dramatic shift in U.S.-Russia diplomacy, as senior officials from both nations met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential resolution to the war—without Ukraine’s participation.

Zelensky expressed outrage over the exclusion of Ukrainian officials from the talks, stating during a visit to Turkey: “Decisions on how to end the war in Ukraine cannot be made without Ukraine, nor can any conditions be imposed.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later reassured reporters that any final agreement would need to be acceptable to Ukraine, Europe, and Russia.

Trump’s push for a peace deal has gained momentum over the past week. After speaking separately with Putin and Zelensky, Trump hinted at a possible face-to-face meeting with the Russian president in the near future.

However, Trump’s remarks have alarmed allies and some lawmakers, particularly regarding his vague stance on Ukraine’s sovereignty. When asked whether he views Ukraine as an equal player in peace negotiations, Trump called it an “interesting question” but declined to answer directly.

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the idea of Ukraine reclaiming its pre-2014 borders, calling it “unrealistic” as part of any ceasefire deal. He also suggested that Ukraine’s hopes for NATO membership would likely be abandoned under any future agreement.

Trump has maintained that Ukraine must prioritize ending the war, reiterating his belief that continuing the fight is not in Ukraine’s best interest.

“Their people are being killed, and I think they have to make peace,” Trump said last week. “That was not a good war to go into.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)