Donald Trump Photo: Getty images
US President Donald Trump has rejected Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request to buy US Patriot air defence systems, saying that the Ukrainian leader is “constantly looking for missiles” and partially blamed Kyiv for the outbreak of war with Russia. The Kyiv Independent reports this with reference to Trump’s speech at the White House.
“You don’t start a war against someone who is 20 times stronger than you and then hope that someone will give you missiles,” Trump said at a joint briefing with El Salvadoran President Naib Buchele.
These statements were a response to Zelenskyy’s interview with CBS News, in which the Ukrainian president said he was ready to buy 10 Patriot systems – at $1.5 billion each – to protect Ukrainian cities from incessant attacks by Russian missiles and drones.
“We will find the money and pay for everything. We are not asking, we are buying, ” Zelensky stressed.
For months now, Ukraine has been pushing for the expansion of its western air defences in the wake of Russia’s intensified air strikes. On Sunday, 13 April, at least 35 people were killed and more than 120 wounded in the strike on Sumy. Trump called the attack “horrific” but hinted that it could have been a “mistake” without providing evidence.
Pressure on Kyiv and new accusations
According to sources in Washington, the Trump administration has suspended some military aid to persuade Kyiv to sign a cooperation agreement on rare earth metals. Meanwhile, Trump himself has publicly questioned Zelenskyy’s leadership.
“Millions of people have died because of three people: Putin, Biden and Zelensky,” the US president said.
Trump promotes ‘truce’ but blames the victim
Despite his harsh words, Trump continues to position himself as a mediator in the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. On 7 April, he stated that he was unhappy with the new wave of bombing, but has not yet proposed a clear strategy to end the war.
