Throughout Donald Trump’s first term, he was dogged by rumors and investigations. about his ties to Russia. His first impeachment, in 2018, resulted from a phone call he made to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then, while Trump was out of office, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting a war that continues, three years later.
Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine in his first 24 hours back in office, but that of course, did not happen. Since then, Trump has been more openly hostile to Ukraine and Zelenskyy. Meanwhile, his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, declared that it was “unrealistic” for Ukraine to expect to return to its borders from before 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea.
On Tuesday, Trump accused Ukraine, falsely of having started the war. Then, early on Wednesday, the president launched a bizarre, run-on sentence-filled broadside against the Ukrainian leader.
“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle,” Trump said; it’s not clear why the president placed his own name both in all caps and quotes, on two occasions.
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“A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left. In the meantime, we are successfully negotiating an end to the War with Russia, something all admit only “TRUMP,” and the Trump Administration, can do,” the post continued.
Zelenskyy responded by declaring that Trump is living in a “disinformation space” inspired by Russia, and added that he “would like Trump’s team to be more truthful.”
The whole exchange led many people to conclude that they had been right about Trump and Russia all along.
Holy shit. Trump says Zelenskyy “should have never started” the war with Russia.
Putin started the war by invading Ukraine. He is literally spreading Putin talking points from the podium. What a disgraceful asshole.
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) February 18, 2025
This must be said. There are not two sides to the war for Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor who wants to destroy its neighbor. Ukraine is the victim. It’s a national disgrace that Trump is getting that backwards.
— Eli Lake (@EliLake) February 19, 2025
Again: Trump/Russia was always real. He’s their guy. You can deny it every way you like. But the facts speak for themselves. https://t.co/vxUQX7xm15
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 18, 2025
Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, declared Wednesday that he would like to meet with Trump.
“I would like to have a meeting, but it needs to be prepared so that it brings results,” the Russian president said in televised remarks, per the AP.
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
