Donald Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for helping to start the war with Russia, as he commented on the PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David on Thursday.

This statement indicates a potential major shift in U.S. policy towards Ukraine if Trump is re-elected on November 5.

The Republican former president has often targeted Zelenskiy during his campaign, branding him “the greatest salesman on Earth” due to his success in securing billions of dollars in U.S. military aid since the onset of the war in 2022.

Further criticizing the Ukrainian leader, Trump accused him of not seeking peace with Moscow and suggested that Ukraine might have to give up some of its territory to Russia as part of a peace agreement, a notion Kyiv finds unacceptable.

Trump’s critique extended to blaming Zelenskiy not only for failing to end the war but also for its initiation, despite it beginning with Russia’s invasion of Ukrainian sovereign land.

“Even though the war’s a loser and he should never have let it start, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help him because I feel very badly for those people,” Trump added.

In a meeting in New York in September, Zelenskiy presented his “victory plan” to end the war to Trump, an encounter described by both as cordial.

Despite these public remarks, Trump hinted that he might reduce support for Ukraine if he beats Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the upcoming election.

He has claimed that he could end the conflict before his inauguration in January, though he has not detailed how.

On the other hand, Harris has committed to ongoing support for Ukraine, emphasizing that a win for Ukraine is crucial for U.S. national security.

She has also consistently criticized Trump for his reluctance to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.