Russia-Ukraine War: 'You Don’t Start a War Against Someone 20 Times Your Size,' says Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has stirred controversy by blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for starting the war with Russia, just one day after a deadly missile attack by Moscow killed 35 people and injured 117 others in Ukraine.

In remarks to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said Zelensky shared responsibility with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the bloodshed, calling out all three leaders — including former President Joe Biden — for the ongoing devastation in Ukraine.

“Millions of people dead because of three people,” Trump said. “Let’s say Putin number one, let’s say Biden who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two, and Zelensky.”

‘You’ve got to know you can win’

Trump, who has frequently criticised U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts, questioned the judgment of Ukraine’s leadership for taking on a much larger and better-armed neighbor.

“You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles,” he said, casting doubt on Zelensky’s strategy and approach. “When you start a war, you got to know you can win.”

The comments come in the wake of Sunday’s Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which Ukrainian officials say was the deadliest attack on civilians this year. The strike has drawn widespread condemnation from European leaders and humanitarian organisations.

When asked about the attack, Trump said it was “terrible” and added that he had been informed that Russia “made a mistake,” but did not clarify what he meant.

Fact-checking the numbers

Trump's claim that "millions of people" have died in the conflict contrasts with current estimates. While the war has indeed caused immense suffering, independent groups and analysts estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed or wounded on both sides since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Continued criticism of Biden and Zelensky

Trump has repeatedly accused President Biden of failing to prevent the conflict and has questioned the scale of U.S. aid to Ukraine. On Monday, he also mocked Zelensky for what he described as persistent demands for more weapons.

“Always looking to purchase missiles,” Trump said of the Ukrainian leader.

Zelensky has not yet responded publicly to Trump’s remarks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials have condemned Russia’s most recent strike as a war crime and urged Western allies to increase support, not scale it back.