Zelensky has lost – Trump

Former US President Donald Trump has declared that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has already “lost” the conflict with Russia. The Republian candidate also accused President Joe Biden of 'provoking' the fighting in the first place.

“That war is a loser,” Trump said on the PBD Podcast, on Thursday, criticizing Zelensky as a “great salesman” who repeatedly secured billions in US aid without securing victory. Trump added that the conflict could have been avoided had he remained in charge after the 2020 election.

Trump also blamed Biden for escalating tensions with Russia, claiming that his statements ahead of the Moscow launching its miliatry operation were the “exact opposite” of what should have been said. He also expressed confidence that he could resolve the issue swiftly if returned to office in November's vote.

Despite his criticism of Biden, Trump expressed sympathy for Ukraine and its people but maintained that Zelensky should have taken steps to prevent the outbreak of hostilities with Moscow. He warned that the fighting could worsen, if something is not done to end it, even potentially sparking World War III.

“If you watch his words [in the run up to the conflict], his words were the exact opposite of what he should have been saying. He instigated that war.... [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is no angel, but everything Biden said was wrong,” Trump pointed out. “That should have never happened,” he said of the fighting between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir “Zelensky is one of the greatest salesmen I have ever seen. Every time he comes in [to the US] we give him a hundred billion dollars. Who else got that kind of money in history?” the former president stressed.

“That does not mean I do not want to help him because I feel very badly for those people [in Ukraine]. But he [Zelensky] should never have let that war start. That war is a loser,” he said.

The US is “not respected” anymore on the international stage due to the actions of the Biden administration, but “the world is going to behave” if he wins the November 5 election, Trump insisted."I think I will settle the Russia-Ukraine [conflict], while I am president-elect,” the Republican nominee said, reiterating a claim he made earlier on a number of occasions.

"I met with Zelensky the other day [in New York in late September]. I have a good relationship with Putin and with Zelensky,” he said, without elaborating on how exactly he is going to persuade the sides to cease hostilities.

When commenting on media reports of Trump’s team developing a road map for settling the Ukrainian conflict in June, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that “the value of any plan lies in the details and whether it takes into account the situation on the battlefield.” He reiterated that Moscow remained ready for negotiations, but stressed that they should be substantive and recognize the events on the ground.