Trump hinted that Zelenskyy "started the war" when commenting on the request for Patriot

Trump hinted that Zelenskyy "started the war" when commenting on the request for Patriot

US President Donald Trump, commenting on Ukraine’s proposal to purchase American Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to protect its skies, hinted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy "initiated the war."

He made this statement during a meeting with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele at the White House on April 14.

Trump was asked if he discussed with Zelenskyy his proposal regarding the purchase of Patriot systems. However, he replied that the Ukrainian president "always wants to buy missiles."

"Listen, when you start a war, you should know that you can win it, right? You can’t start a war against someone who outnumbers you 20 to 1 and then hope to be supplied with missiles," Trump added.

However, the American president then emphasized that it was he who provided Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank systems, thanks to which Ukrainians "won the first major battle with tanks that got stuck in the mud."

"They (the Ukrainians. – Ed.) have a saying: Obama once gave them sheets, and Trump gave them Javelins," he noted.

Prior to this, the US president partially placed responsibility on the Kremlin’s master, Vladimir Putin, for the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine but also mentioned Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy among the culprits.

Earlier, Zelenskyy expressed his readiness to buy ten Patriot air defense systems from the US for $15 billion, noting that European partners are willing to assist in financing.