After the February 2022 Russian attack on Ukraine, which the West knew was coming, it took months for Europe and the U.S. to take significant steps to help Ukraine.
Ukraine found itself in a similar position this week.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump seemed to shift blame for the war from Russia to Ukraine. He made the comments while responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy鈥檚 concerns about not being invited to a meeting in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Russian leaders.
Trump said, 鈥淭oday I heard, ‘Oh, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years. You should have ended it three years (ago). You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.鈥�
Zelenskyy shot back, saying Trump is trapped in a Russian 鈥渄isinformation bubble.”
Trump responded, calling him a 鈥渄ictator.鈥� His comments stunned and angered Ukrainians.
鈥淲ell, let’s be clear,鈥� said Kyiv resident Sasha, 鈥淯kraine did not start this war.聽It was Russia who invaded us, first, in 2014, then again in 2022, both times unprovoked.鈥�
The outrage about Trump鈥檚 comments has been reflected in media around the world, but, curiously, European leaders have been muted in their public rebukes of Trump鈥檚 comments. None have addressed him, personally, for his statements.
Why is that?
Lithuania鈥檚 former Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told the BBC, 鈥淭here is no need to fight word for word鈥� with Trump. He said, 鈥淲e need to prepare to fight (Russia) 鈥� alone.鈥�
Landsbergis said it is a waste of time to get into a quarrel over something world leaders already know the truth about.
That energy, he suggested, should be focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and the rest of Europe and figuring out how to defend against the next Russian attack.
That鈥檚 significant, because most members of NATO believe if Russia is not repudiated by D.C. for its attack on Ukraine, it will happen again.
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