Trump blames war on Zelensky: ‘Russian talking points are now White House talking points’
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Donald Trump has claimed Ukraine began the war with Russia, which is false, additionally blaming Joe Biden for the conflict which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Why does he continue to spread lies about Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion?
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In brief…
- Donald Trump told reporters Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion, and that the country started a war it couldn’t win. It comes days after a Russian strike killed 34 people in the city of Sumy.
- The News Agents say both Trump and Vladimir Putin are committed to peace in Ukraine – but both want it to happen in a way that only benefits Russia.
- Ukrainian MP Solomiia Bobrovska tells The News Agents that Trump has “no plan B” for peace if his current plan doesn’t work, and that the recent Sumy attack has only strengthened their resolve.
What’s the story?
At this point, it probably shouldn't need repeating but for the record: Russia illegally invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and is responsible for the war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
But Donald Trump has never been a big fan of the facts, and has once again placed blame on Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky for the ongoing conflict.
"You don't start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump told reporters during an Oval Office press briefing on Monday, 14 April.
He added that Zelensky was "always looking to purchase missiles" and said "when you start a war, you’ve got to know you can win."
Additionally, Trump claimed the war had claimed the lives of "millions" (wrong) and said the three people responsible for this incorrect death toll were Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden and Zelensky.
Trump's comments came days after a Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy claimed the lives of at least 34 church-goers and residents, and injured around 117 others, with the US president saying he had been assured the strike had been "a mistake".
Since returning to The White House in January 2025, Donald Trump has spoken highly of Putin, and accepted a portrait of himself as a gift, while the relationship between the president and Zelensky has soured.
The Ukrainian leader clashed with Trump and vice president JD Vance, egged on by journalist questions about how he was dressed, during a meeting in the Oval Office in March 2025.
Zelensky has urged Trump to visit Ukraine to see the impact of Russia's ongoing siege in order to "understand what Putin did" before continuing to work with Putin on securing peace in the region.
Will Trump offer Putin everything he wants from Ukraine in peace deal?
What have we learned from Trump’s comments?
For The News Agents, the key take-away from what was said in the Oval Office, is the extent Kremlin propaganda has now infiltrated the Trump administration.
“It's a total rewriting of history you're getting, and also this profound sense that whatever the talking point is in Russia, is now the talking point in the White House as well,” says Jon Sopel.
Lewis Goodall, believes that Trump has gone beyond just “echoing” Russia talking points, in claiming the attack on Sumy was “a mistake”.
“The Russians accepted that they had hit Sumy and did so deliberately, because they said that it was a military target,” adds Lewis.
“They said there were Ukrainian military personnel there that they wanted to hit.”
On the weekend, Trump had told journalists he was optimistic his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, would return from a Putin meeting with positive news for peace in Ukraine.
Hours later, Russia struck Sumy.
"The fact the Sumy attack came as a surprise to Trump tells you he is becoming conscious that he cannot control Putin," says Emily Maitlis.
And while Trump has continually stated his belief that Joe Biden shares responsibility for the war in Ukraine, the Sumy attack happened “on Trump’s watch,” adds Jon.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has moved his own deadline for bringing peace to Ukraine from “day one” to Easter – which is looking more unlikely as time ticks on.
People of Ukraine ‘angry’, but unwilling to relent to Russia
Ukrainian MP and deputy head of the Ukrainian delegation in NATO, Solomiia Bobrovska, tells The News Agents there is little hope in the country that Trump can bring an end to Putin's war.
"Trump doesn't have any Plan B to bring peace to Ukraine, and that's the problem," she says.
"Probably we have to rely only on European partners in this battle with the Russians, because I think the US will stop future military aid."
She adds that Trump's willingness to spread Russian propaganda from the Oval Office suggests he simply "pretends" to be a world leader, and is instead a major part of the problem.
"I don't know how we should show more facts of how Russia has been destroying Ukraine since 2014, annexing Ukrainian territories and just killing people on the streets," Bobrovska adds.
"What more should Ukraine do to prove that Ukraine just wants peace and wants to stay in the internationally recognised borders?"
But the recent attack in Sumy, which included children among the victims, has done nothing to deter the people of Ukraine to continue to fight for their independence.
"The morale of Ukrainians, despite the very sad feelings, is not to stop," she says.
"I will say it makes us more angry, rather than just to give up and to say: 'Ok, we are done and we are ready to accept Russian conditions.'"
Russia-Ukraine war: 'Trump sees everything through the lens of strength and weakness'
What’s The News Agents’ take?
Despite Trump's comments, The News Agents still believe both Trump and Putin are committed to peace in Ukraine – they just agree it might not be the sort of peace the rest of the world might be hoping for.
"They're committed to a peace entirely on Russia's terms – Russia keeps the land it has got, it prevents Ukraine ever joining NATO or the European Union," says Jon.
"Trump wants Ukraine's natural resources. Russia wants Ukraine's land. Trump and Putin are very happy with that as an arrangement."
Lewis believes the next US deal will look like a "shopping list" of Putin's existing demands from Ukraine, and says it is likely Trump will "wash his hands" of the entire situation, and blame Zelensky, when the Ukrainians reject it.
"Trump just sees everything through the lens of strength and weakness," adds Lewis.
"He's lived his life thinking that strength is everything, and you leave your enemy just limping in the road.
"That's how Putin operates, that's how Trump has operated in his own private life, and that's how he sees this conflict."
Listen to the latest episode of The News Agents.
