'He's no angel': Trump blames Ukraine President Zelenskyy for not negotiating to end war with Russia (WATCH)

Former US President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for opting to go to war with Russia, labeling the decision as reckless against a "much bigger and more powerful" adversary. Trump suggested Zelenskyy could have secured peace by negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin instead.

"Zelenskyy was fighting a much bigger entity, much bigger, much more powerful," Trump remarked during an interview with Fox News. "He shouldn’t have done that, because we could have made a deal. I could have made that deal so easily, and Zelenskyy decided that 'I want to fight.'"

Highlighting the disparity in military strength, Trump drew comparisons between the tank fleets of Ukraine and Russia, arguing that "you don't fight those" who possess superior arms and ammunition.

Meanwhile, Putin appeared to endorse Trump's perspective, asserting that the ongoing Ukraine conflict could have been avoided had Trump been in office in 2022. "We always had a business-like, pragmatic but also trusting relationship with the current US president," Putin said. "I couldn't disagree with him that if he had been president, if they hadn't stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis that emerged in Ukraine in 2022 could have been avoided."

Putin also expressed Moscow's readiness to engage in discussions with the United States on a range of pressing issues.

Responding to the remarks, Zelenskyy accused Putin of trying to manipulate Trump, particularly after Putin emphasized his willingness for "peace talks" with the US leader. "He wants to manipulate the desire of the President of the United States of America to achieve peace," Zelenskyy stated. "I am confident that no Russian manipulations will succeed anymore."

Despite Trump's bold assertion that he could resolve the Ukraine conflict within "24 hours" if returned to power, hostilities between the two nations persist with no indication of de-escalation.

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