WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s White Home is now “bothsidesing” – actually ― Russia’s bloody and ongoing assaults on Ukraine.
In certainly one of her periodic briefings, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday primarily equated dictator Vladimir Putin’s near-nightly slaughter of Ukrainian civilians of their houses with Ukraine’s retaliatory strikes towards Russia’s oil manufacturing infrastructure.
“Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves,” she mentioned.
Leavitt had been requested whether or not Trump had a response to Russia’s huge assault Wednesday evening, utilizing lots of of drones and missiles, on residential areas of Kyiv, which killed some 20 civilians, together with kids.
By mid-afternoon, Trump’s lack of an announcement condemning Putin stood in stark distinction to these coming from the leaders of Canada, France, the UK, Italy, Germany, the European Fee and others.
“Six-hundred twenty-nine missiles and drones in a single night over Ukraine: this is Russia’s idea of peace. Terror and barbarism. More than a dozen dead, including children,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media. “Full support to the Ukrainian people, and deepest compassion for all the grieving families.”
“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, although, didn’t take part that refrain.
“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 mentioned. “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 feedback echoed Trump’s personal statements in latest weeks that after once more blame Ukraine for being invaded.
“You know, [Ukrainian President Volodomyr] Zelenskyy is not exactly innocent either, OK?” the president mentioned throughout Wednesday’s marathon Cupboard assembly. “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.”
Chip Somodevilla through Getty Photographs
There had been a short interval when Trump gave the impression to be getting pissed off with Putin for claiming to need peace in his telephone calls with him after which turning round and instantly attacking Ukrainian cities.
However Trump’s tone on that time started to melt after Putin agreed to satisfy him in Alaska on Aug. 15. Trump had set an Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to conform to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face elevated financial sanctions, however he let that go with out one other phrase.
On the summit itself, Trump rolled out a purple carpet for the previous KGB officer, applauded him as he approached and feted him with a flyover by a squad of Air Pressure jets, together with a B-2 bomber.
Putin, although, supplied nothing in return and left with out agreeing to a ceasefire or the rest.
Whereas Trump claimed the Alaska assembly would quickly be adopted by one between Putin and Zelenskyy, that has not occurred — doubtless as a result of Putin insists he won’t cease his invasion till he will get to maintain the territory he has been unable to take by pressure regardless of three and half years of attempting.
Within the days instantly following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump known as him “savvy” and a “genius” for having achieved so, though he was concentrating on residential areas for assault even then.
From that time ahead, Trump started claiming, baselessly, that Putin by no means would have invaded had Trump nonetheless been president. In reality, the ferocity and frequency of Putin’s assaults have dramatically elevated since Trump returned to workplace in January.
Trump additionally claimed, repeatedly, that he would finish the preventing in Ukraine in a single day if he received again the presidency, and that he would be capable to finish the struggle even earlier than he returned to the White Home.
Thursday was Trump’s 221st day in workplace, and there’s no ceasefire in sight.
