US president questions Ukraine counterpart’s competency as his envoy outlines ‘detail attached’ to any peace deal
Morning opening: What does Vladimir Putin want?
On Monday, several European leaders lined up to criticise Vladimir Putin for Russia’s continuing attacks on Ukraine, and sabotaging the peace efforts of the Trump administration in the US.
But the White House view remains distinctively different.
Speaking alongside El Salvador president Nayib Bukele, Trump once again took aim at Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy instead, saying:
“The mistake was letting the war happen. If Biden were competent. And if Zelenskyy were competent — and I don’t know that he is, we had a rough session with this guy over here.”
“You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”
On Putin, his tone was distinctively different as he argued:
“And you take a look at Putin — I’m not saying anybody’s an angel, but I will tell you, I went four years, and it wasn’t even a question.
