Donald Trump has refused to blame Putin for starting the Ukraine war – putting him at loggerheads with Britain and other allies over the conflict.
The US President also denied responsibility for the disruption to Kyiv‘s access to the vital Starlink satellite communications system, leaving the country exposed to attack.
The Ukraine war was triggered after Putin ordered the invasion of Russia’s neighbour in 2022.
Vladimir Putin ordered up to 200,000 troops into Ukraine in an attempt to overthrow its pro-Western government.
Since then, Ukraine has suffered hundreds of thousands of deaths while missiles and drones regularly rain down on the capital Kyiv.
But when asked whether he had forgotten that it was the Russian leader who started the war, Mr Trump did not respond directly and implied it was not straightforward.
He said: ‘I know the details, OK, and at some point I’ll release the details.
‘But I don’t care anything except for one. I want that war ended.’
Donald Trump has refused to blame Putin for starting the Ukraine war – putting him at loggerheads with Britain and other allies over the conflict
The Ukraine war was triggered after Putin ordered the invasion of its neighbour in 2022
His comments, as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Georgia, came after he again rounded on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he was ‘not a big fan’ and claiming he was ‘more difficult to deal with than Putin’.
He previously suggested Ukraine needed a new leader and claimed Mr Putin wanted a peace deal more.
Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky, attending a summit in Brussels on Friday, signalled that he agreed with the suggestion he was being made a scapegoat by Mr Trump for soaring fuel prices driven by the Iran war, which was launched by the US and Israel in February.
The Ukrainian President had also accused Mr Trump of betraying his country by limiting its use of US-made Starlink terminals which are vital for the Ukrainian military.
But speaking on Friday, the US president said: ‘We didn’t do that. We didn’t slow it down at all.’
Starlink satellites, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, provide high-speed internet to Ukraine’s military.
It is vital for communications on the battlefield and effective drone warfare.
With Starlink, Ukrainian drones can stay connected to operators over long distances and counter Russian drones.
But on Tuesday night, Starlink suddenly and unexpectedly restricted the speed at which drones could fly while maintaining internet connection.
Connectivity had been restored by Wednesday evening.
Starlink uses satellites to provide connectivity to almost anywhere in the world. While Starlink is for civilian use, Starshield is its military-grade sister service, designed for the Pentagon.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a press conference as part of a European Union summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on October 16
A Ukrainian serviceman of 47th brigade prepares a Starlink satellite internet system at his position (file photo)
Missiles and drones have regularly rained down on the capital Kyiv since the war started in 2022
The US government has allowed Ukraine to use Starlink and Starshield in its defence against Russia.
It hampered Kyiv’s ability to protect itself from incoming Russian drone attacks.
The latest strain in relations came after Mr Trump struck a deal to buy Russian diesel, which critics at home and abroad warn will be used to fund Mr Putin’s war machine.
The president also, in an apparent unilateral move, declared Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other’s energy facilities.
After initially respecting the ceasefire, Mr Zelensky abandoned the brief truce in the face of continued Russian attacks, drawing criticism from the American leader.
Mr Trump told the Newsmax media outlet: ‘All he’s doing is making the world oil price higher. Well, I think that’s a disgrace.’
The row has raised the spectre of further reductions in US support for Ukraine’s war effort.
Speaking at the European Union meeting, Mr Zelensky thanked the bloc for its support and pointedly hailed its ‘real leaders’.
He later told a news conference: ‘This diesel deal will never be enough to offset the impact of the Strait of Hormuz on global markets. But it will put more money straight into Putin’s pocket to fund this war.’
He also said Mr Putin ‘does not want peace talks at the moment, in any form’.
Amid the renewed transatlantic tensions, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting sought to use his first visit to Washington DC in the role to ‘bring harmony’ between the White House and Kyiv.
He also made the case for continuing American support for the embattled country, warning that if Moscow’s aggression was rewarded, ‘the consequences will not remain confined to Ukraine or to my continent’.
