Washington, D.C.—April 15, 2025: On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump moved another controversy by blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war against Russia, just one day after the devastating Russian missile attack on the city of Sumy, Ukraine, that took the lives of at least 35 people and injured at least 117 others. Trump blames Zelensky for the Ukraine war.
Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump contended that Zelensky, Vladimir Putin and Biden were all responsible for the war, saying “millions of people are dead” because of the actions of these three leaders. Trump accused Zelensky of allegedly frustrating a war with a much stronger military power while seeking constant military aid from the West.
He destined the attack on Sumy as terrible. However, he had been told that Russia made a mistake. Trump insisted that both Biden and Zelensky had early chances to stop the war and it was on this premise that he said the war could have been avoided. Trump claimed that “Zelensky is delaying peace talks” and has been “gambling with World War Three.”
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His remarks come hard on the heels of what he described as a “great” phone call with Putin. Russia later presented Trump with a portrait, while U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is known to have conducted lengthy talks with Putin in St. Petersburg that were apparently focused on achieving a long-term peace deal and negotiating the future of disputed Ukrainian territories.
Before the Sumy attack, in a CBS interview, President Zelensky called for Trump to travel to Ukraine and witness the destruction for himself before discussing any agreement with Moscow.
The Sumy strike, one of the deadliest this year, saw two missiles slam into the town center on Palm Sunday as civilians were gathering, further galvanizing global concern regarding Russia’s ongoing aggression.
