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DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN CRITICISED BY PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY AFTER HE SUGGESTED THAT KYIV WAS TO BLAME FOR THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE AND CLAIMED THEY “SHOULD HAVE NEVER STARTED” THE WAR 14:49, 19
Feb 2025Updated 14:49, 19 Feb 2025 Donald Trump has "swallowed the Russian playbook" and if the US fails "to deter" Vladimir Putin "it could lead to a larger
war", an expert has warned. President Trump has been criticised by Ukrainan leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he suggested Kyiv was to blame for the conflict in Ukraine. He also told
reporters from his home in Mar-a-Lago in Florida, that Ukraine “should have never started” the war and "could have made a deal" to prevent it. Zelenskyy hit back at the comments
claiming Trump is living in a Russian-made "disinformation space" following his administration's discussions with Kremlin officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The meeting
between top US and Russian officials sidelined Ukraine and European countries, who were forced to hold their own emergency summit in Paris on Monday after being left out of the crucial
talks. READ MORE: IBS symptoms improved in a fortnight thanks to £1.60 supplement - 'it's changed my life' Meanwhile, Ukraine’s desire to join NATO in order to ward off
Russian aggression after reaching a possible peace agreement won’t happen, according to US officials. President Zelenskyy confirmed any settlement will require US security commitments to
keep Russia at bay. Dr Kenton White, a politics and international relations expert at the University of Reading, believes the current talks between the US and Russia "only give
advantage" to Moscow and "none" to Ukraine. He told The Mirror: "Zelensky is entirely correct that Ukraine is sovereign. President Trump seems unable to grasp the concept
when it relates to other nations. The current talks only give advantage to Russia. Even with assurances from the US and Russia, few in Europe, and none in Ukraine, will trust any
agreement." Article continues below Following the "high-level" talks in Saudi Arabia between top US and Russian officials, which excluded Ukraine and European allies,
Trump's press conference on Tuesday "appears to show he swallowed the Russian playbook" by blaming Kyiv for the war. The expert added: "Trump appears to have swallowed
the Russian playbook. The Russian playbook, identical to the Soviet playbook, uses disinformation and bullying tactics. Perhaps because of its similarities to Trump’s approach to
international relations he is happy to accommodate it. "Trump commented that the US wouldn’t have to put any troops in to Ukraine “… because, you know, we're very far away.” This
mirrors the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's view about Germany's occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938. The outcome may likely be the same - not deterring an aggressive
expansionist nation may well lead to a larger war." French President Emmanuel Macron was to hold a virtual conference on Ukraine later Wednesday with leaders of over 15 countries, “with
the aim of gathering all partners interested in peace and security” on the continent. Dr White believes Europe is "finally" coming to the realisation it needs to defend itself.
Article continues below He added: “Europe is finally waking up to an uncomfortable truth: it needs to defend itself. While British forces show a confident "can-do" attitude about
potential deployment, the real challenges lie deeper. The crucial tests will be whether European leaders can sustain a long-term military commitment, maintain consistent supply lines, and -
most importantly - whether they have the political will to accept the human cost that comes with standing up to aggression."