US President Donald Trump on Sunday intensified his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, over their tense Oval Office meeting last month, accusing him of being “ungrateful” and claiming that Ukraine took US aid “like candy from a baby” during Joe Biden’s presidency.
“He’s a smart guy, and he’s a tough guy.” Trump commented about Zelenskyy. “He took money out of this country, under Biden, like candy from a baby. It was so easy,” Trump stated during his Sunday interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News.
“With that same attitude. I just don’t think he’s grateful. We gave him 350 billion and he is talking about the fact that they have fought and they have this bravery,” Trump added.
The Republican president further emphasised his role in providing Javelin anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, asserting that the ongoing conflict would have been prevented had he been in office when it commenced in 2022.
“All he (Zelenskyy) had to do is say (to Europe), you got to stay even with us (the US) … We’re not in danger, they (Europe) are …So they’re paying all this money to Russia, and we’re in there for $350 billion,” he explained.
Previously, Trump had ordered a pause on all military aid to Ukraine, escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv just days after a heated Oval Office confrontation with Zelenskyy.
The move effectively halts the delivery of billions in US weaponry, leaving Ukraine uncertain about its ability to sustain its defense against Russia.
When Bartiromo questioned Trump about abandoning Zelenskyy before finalising a minerals agreement, asking: “Are you comfortable with that, the fact you walked away and Ukraine may not survive?”
Trump responded: “Well, it may not survive anyway. But, you know, we have some weaknesses with Russia. You know, it takes two.”
She pressed further: “So is there anything else you want to say to the critics who say you chose a side in the Ukraine-Russia story – and that’s Russia. Because, you know, you called Zelenskyy a dictator and you had the fight [in the Oval Office].”
Trump avoided addressing the query directly, maintaining that “nobody has been tougher on Russia than Donald Trump. Nobody. And they know that, they know that. Just look at the things I just told you. The pipeline – I stopped it.”