The possibility of Donald Trump‘s return to the White House continues to cast a shadow over the Ukrainian crisis.

The support Washington has provided to Kyiv since the war broke out in 2022 could come to an end if the former president and Republican candidate Trump wins the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for November 5.

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According to the American magazine Politico, Trump has held Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responsible for the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump stated, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “He should never have allowed this war to start,” a step some see as a clear endorsement of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris last month, Donald Trump said the war should end, but he did not directly answer twice whether he believed Ukraine should win.

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In a podcast with conservative commentator Patrick Bet-David published on Thursday, Trump said regarding Zelensky: “He should never have allowed this war to start… It’s a losing war.”
The former president added that his successor Joe Biden “incited that war,” which he has repeatedly stated “would never have happened” if he were president.

Trump has shown a growing friendly relationship with Putin regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In a book released on Monday, journalist Bob Woodward noted that Trump had contacted Putin as many as seven times since leaving office and had sent him COVID-19 tests for his personal use while still president. Trump neither confirmed nor denied those reports.

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In the podcast, Trump responded to critics who claimed he was “in Russia’s pocket,” saying he “ended their biggest project,” referring to the sanctions he approved on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany. (This pipeline was later shut down to reduce Europe’s consumption of Russian gas due to the Ukrainian crisis).

Later, Trump added that he has a good relationship with both Putin and Zelensky, whom he met last month during the United Nations General Assembly. Prior to that meeting, Trump promised to negotiate a deal that “would be beneficial for both sides.”

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In response to a request for comment, Trump‘s campaign referred Politico to the former president’s speech at the Republican National Convention last July.

Trump stated: “During President Bush’s administration, Russia invaded Georgia. Under President Obama, Russia seized Crimea. Under the current administration, Ukraine has ultimately become a vassal of Russia. Under President Trump, Russia took nothing.”