Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said Sunday that President Trump “made an enormous mistake” in blaming the Russia-Ukraine war on the Ukrainians.
“I think the Trump administration made an enormous mistake during the campaign and then from the election forward by putting the blame on Ukraine for the war,” Smith told anchor Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday.” “It seems that President Trump honestly thought that it was Ukraine that was forcing forward the conflict.”
“And if he just talked to Zelensky and put pressure on Zelensky, then everything would be fine, which nobody who was paying any attention to the situation would have agreed with. Putin has been driving this conflict,” Smith added, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ever since his return to office earlier this year, the president and his administration have pushed for an end to the war in Ukraine, without much success.
In February, President Trump seemingly blamed Ukraine’s leaders for the war with Russia, stating Zelensky “should have never started it.”
Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, after massing troops on the country’s border and pushing for a ban on Ukraine ever becoming a part of the NATO alliance.
Last week, Trump said that the U.S. would be sending Patriot air defense munitions to Ukraine, restating his dissatisfaction with Putin.
Trump would not say how many Patriot systems or missiles would go to Ukraine, but he said the U.S. would not be paying for the munitions.
“I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some, because they do need protection — but the European Union is paying for it. We’re not paying anything for it, but we will send it,” Trump told reporters last week.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
