"He's no angel": Trump stated that Zelensky should have reached an agreement with Putin at the start of the war (video).

U.S. President Donald Trump believes that Ukraine should not have defended itself when Russia initiated a full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. In his view, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should have negotiated to prevent a major war. He stated this in an interview with Fox News.

"He’s not an angel. He shouldn’t have allowed this war to happen. Firstly, he’s fighting against a significantly larger entity. Much more powerful. He shouldn’t have done this because we could have made a deal. I could have easily brokered such an agreement, but Zelensky decided he wanted to fight," said the American president.

According to Trump, Russia had tens of thousands of tanks, while Ukraine had almost none. He noted that the U.S. supplied weapons, and Ukrainians "have the courage to use them," but ultimately, the war needs to be settled.

"They are losing millions of people; wonderful people are dying on the battlefield. This has to stop," Trump stated.

He reiterated that during his first term, Putin did not dare to initiate a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and blamed Biden for allowing it to happen. He claimed that if his predecessor had imposed stricter restrictions and sanctions on Russia, cutting off energy trade revenue, the Kremlin would not have had the funds for military actions. Trump asserted that Biden's words and actions prompted Putin to escalate the situation.

The U.S. president repeated his threats to impose tough sanctions, tariffs, and duties on Russia if Vladimir Putin does not agree to come to the negotiating table.

"If they do not resolve this war quickly, almost immediately, I will impose huge tariffs on Russia, enormous duties and sanctions. I don’t want to do this; I love the Russian people, but we need to end this war. Zelensky wants an end now; he’s had enough," said the American leader.

Recall that during his speech at the International Economic Forum in Davos on January 23, Trump outlined his plan to pressure Russia to force it into peace. He intends to enlist the help of Saudi Arabia and China.

Also, on January 23, the British publication The Times reported that Donald Trump might demand Ukraine lower the draft age to 18 in exchange for military assistance.