Trump ramps up rhetoric on Russia-Ukraine conflict as peace talks momentum stalls
A Ukrainian service member fires a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops near a front line in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region
By Betsy Klein, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to offer a rationale for Ukraine to go on offense against Russia, notable rhetoric as the momentum around peace talks has stalled.
“It is very hard, if not impossible, to win a war without attacking an invaders country. It’s like a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense. There is no chance of winning! It is like that with Ukraine and Russia,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
He continued, “Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND. How did that work out? Regardless, this is a war that would have NEVER happened if I were President – ZERO CHANCE. Interesting times ahead!!!”
During the Biden administration, it was long-standing policy that Ukraine could not launch long-range American-made missiles into Russia. That changed in November 2024, following pressure from US allies.
Trump’s comments come as the Kremlin has openly contradicted the White House on plans for a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting that leader-level talks are far from imminent and that Putin has yet to agree to such a meeting.
Additionally, Russia launched a sweeping series of airstrikes on Ukraine overnight, including an attack on an American-owned manufacturing company that injured at least 15 people.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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