WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s White House is now “bothsidesing” – literally ― Russia’s bloody and ongoing attacks on Ukraine.
In one of her periodic briefings, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday essentially equated dictator Vladimir Putin’s near-nightly slaughter of Ukrainian civilians in their homes with Ukraine’s retaliatory strikes against Russia’s oil production infrastructure.
“Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves,” she said.
Leavitt had been asked whether Trump had a response to Russia’s massive attack Wednesday night, using hundreds of drones and missiles, on residential areas of Kyiv, which killed some 20 civilians, including children.
By mid-afternoon, Trump’s lack of a statement condemning Putin stood in stark contrast to those coming from the leaders of Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, the European Commission and others.
Russia's brutal attack on Ukraine: 629 missiles and drones launched in a single night, killing civilians, including children. French President Macron condemns the terror and barbarism, expressing full support for Ukraine and condolences to grieving families. This follows a wave of international condemnation of Russia's relentless assault
“The intense attacks on Kyiv this night demonstrate who stands on the side of peace and who has no intention of believing in the negotiating path,” added Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Leavitt, though, did not join in that chorus.
“He was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised. These are two countries that have been at war for a very long time. Russia launched this attack on Kyiv. And likewise, Ukraine recently dealt a blow to Russia’s oil refineries. They have taken out, as a matter of fact, 20% of Russia’s oil refinery capacity over the course of their attacks throughout the month of August,” Leavitt said. “The president wants it to end, but the leaders of these two countries need it to end and must want it to end as well.”
Her comments echoed Trump’s own statements in recent weeks that once again blame Ukraine for being invaded.
“You know, [Ukrainian President Volodomyr] Zelenskyy is not exactly innocent either, OK?” the president said during Wednesday’s marathon Cabinet meeting. “They go in, I’m sure that Ukraine thought they were going to win. There’s going to be ― you know, we’re going to win, you’re going to beat somebody that’s 15 times your size.”
There had been a brief period when Trump seemed to be getting frustrated with Putin for claiming to want peace in his phone calls with him and then turning around and immediately attacking Ukrainian cities.
But Trump’s tone on that point began to soften after Putin agreed to meet him in Alaska on Aug. 15. Trump had set an Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face increased economic sanctions, but he let that pass without another word.
At the summit itself, Trump rolled out a red carpet for the former KGB officer, applauded him as he approached and feted him with a flyover by a squad of Air Force jets, including a B-2 bomber.
Putin, though, offered nothing in return and left without agreeing to a ceasefire or anything else.
While Trump claimed the Alaska meeting would soon be followed by one between Putin and Zelenskyy, that has not happened — likely because Putin insists he will not stop his invasion until he gets to keep the territory he has been unable to take by force despite three and half years of trying.
In the days immediately following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump called him “savvy” and a “genius” for having done so, even though he was targeting residential areas for attack even then.
From that point forward, Trump began claiming, baselessly, that Putin never would have invaded had Trump still been president. In fact, the ferocity and frequency of Putin’s attacks have dramatically increased since Trump returned to office in January.
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Trump also claimed, repeatedly, that he would end the fighting in Ukraine in a single day if he won back the presidency, and that he would be able to end the war even before he returned to the White House.
Thursday was Trump’s 221st day in office, and there is no ceasefire in sight.
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