Pence denounces Trump's claim Ukraine started war

Former Vice President Mike Pence denounced his ex-boss, President Trump, over his recent claim that Ukraine started the war with Russia, a conflict that has been ongoing for three years.

“Mr. President, Ukraine did not 'start' this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The Road to Peace must be built on the Truth,” Pence said in a Wednesday post on the social platform X, accompanied by emojis of U.S. and Ukrainian flags.

Trump seemingly blamed Ukraine’s leadership for the war on Tuesday, saying that Zelensky “should have never started” the conflict in Eastern Europe.

Russia started the full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. The invasion occurred eight years after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

On Tuesday, Trump also reiterated that he could forge a peace agreement, a claim he repeated consistently during his 2024 White House campaign.

“You should’ve ended it in three years. You should have never started it. You could have made a deal. I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land, and no people would have been killed, and no city would have been demolished and not one dome would have been knocked down,” Trump said Tuesday, speaking to reporters hours after U.S. officials — national security adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff — met with Russian officials to kick-start talks about a peace deal.

“But they chose not to do it that way,” Trump added.

Zelensky told reporters on Wednesday that Trump is living in a Russian “disinformation space.”

“Unfortunately, President Trump, I have great respect for him as a leader of a nation that we have great respect for, the American people who always support us, unfortunately, lives in this disinformation space,” Zelensky said on Wednesday.

Pence, whose relationship with Trump soured after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, also criticized Trump on Ukraine earlier this month, warning that Kyiv could be under Russian control if the U.S. abandons it.

“Mr. President, Ukraine will only ‘be Russian someday’ if the United States abandons them to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s brutal invasion. As you just said, ’When America is Strong the World is at Peace.’ Stand Firm,” Pence wrote.

“If Ukraine falls, it will only be a matter of time until Russia invades a NATO ally our troops will be required to defend,” he added.

Trump doubled down on his jab at Zelensky, accusing him of taking advantage of Ukraine and saying that Zelensky has done a “terrible job” as the war-torn country’s leader.

“Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and ‘TRUMP,’ will never be able to settle,” the president said on Truth Social.

Topics

Trump says Ukraine started the war that's killing its citizens. What are the facts?

President Donald Trump has blamed Ukraine for starting the war that has cost tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives
ABC News - 1d
Trump Falsely Suggests Ukraine Is to Blame for the War: What to Know

A look at how the war in Ukraine began, the state of the peace talks and why the country isn’t holding elections.
The New York Times - 1d
Trump 'doesn't care' what happens to Ukraine, former foreign minister claims as U.S.-Kyiv relations sour

U.S. President Donald Trump doesn't appear to be concerned about Ukraine's post-war future, the country's former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNBC.
CNBC - 7h
Your Questions Answered: War In Ukraine

Your questions answered on America's relationship with Ukraine - and the rest of Europe.
BBC News - 20h
Trump and Zelensky’s war of words

The US and Ukrainian presidents get into a public row.
BBC News - 1d
Listen: The Ukraine War - How Far Away Is A Peace Deal?

Newscast x Americast x Ukrainecast
BBC News - 13h
Trump Claims Power to Fire Administrative Law Judges at Will

The Justice Department said a law protecting the officials from arbitrary removal is an unconstitutional intrusion on presidential authority.
The New York Times - 10h
Trump calls Zelenskyy a ‘dictator’ in growing war of words

Even as the White House pushes to end the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing him as a "dictator." NBC’s Richard Engel ...
NBC News - 1d
Ukraine or Russia: Whose Side Is Trump On?

Nick asks former UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.
BBC News - 1d
As Ukraine war reaches 3-year mark, Russia seems to have time on its side

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine three years ago has turned into Europe’s largest conflict since World War II
ABC News - 1d

More from The Hill

Trudeau after Canada hockey win over US: 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a veiled swipe at President Trump on Thursday, after Canada defeated the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game. “You can’t take our country — and ...
The Hill - 39m
Live updates: Waltz to speak at CPAC amid backlash over Trump's foreign policy

National security adviser Mike Waltz is set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, amid backlash over President Trump's approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine ...
The Hill - 42m
A DOGE dividend could be a win-win-win for the GOP and Team Trump

With Democrats screaming that the sky is falling every time the Department of Government Efficiency axes one federal worker, Elon Musk’s team needs some good public relations.
The Hill - 43m
How many people over 100 receive Social Security benefits?

Here's how many Social Security retirement checks go out to people 99 and older. Hint: It's far fewer than Trump claims.
The Hill - 56m
Europe’s elite fears Trump, Musk and the truth

The EU's ruling class has become fanatical in its desire to censor.
The Hill - 1h

More in Politics

Trudeau after Canada hockey win over US: 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game'

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a veiled swipe at President Trump on Thursday, after Canada defeated the U.S. in the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game. “You can’t take our country — and ...
The Hill - 39m
Live updates: Waltz to speak at CPAC amid backlash over Trump's foreign policy

National security adviser Mike Waltz is set to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, amid backlash over President Trump's approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine ...
The Hill - 42m
A DOGE dividend could be a win-win-win for the GOP and Team Trump

With Democrats screaming that the sky is falling every time the Department of Government Efficiency axes one federal worker, Elon Musk’s team needs some good public relations.
The Hill - 43m
How many people over 100 receive Social Security benefits?

Here's how many Social Security retirement checks go out to people 99 and older. Hint: It's far fewer than Trump claims.
The Hill - 56m
Europe’s elite fears Trump, Musk and the truth

The EU's ruling class has become fanatical in its desire to censor.
The Hill - 1h