President Donald Trump is blaming Ukraine for being attacked by Russia in President Vladimir Putin’s illegal war against the sovereign nation.

In a rambling and wide-ranging “Fox & Friends” interview on Tuesday, the President covered a lot of ground, including declaring that it would be unfair to Russia to allow Ukraine to become a part of NATO.

“It can’t be NATO because that’s just not something that would ever ever happen. He couldn’t. They couldn’t do that. If you were Russia, who would want to have your enemy, your opponent, sitting on your line? You don’t do that,” Trump said.

Trump then falsely claimed, “It was always thought that Ukraine was a, sort of a buffer between Russia and the rest of Europe — and it was, it was a big, wide buffer — everything worked out well until Biden got involved.”

READ MORE: ‘Exit Through a Gift Shop’: Trump Slammed for Showcasing MAGA Merchandise to World Leaders

Ukraine was promised future entry into NATO at an undetermined date, back in 2008. Finland borders Russia and is a member of NATO. Trump also did not say why there needed to be a “buffer” between Russia and Europe.

Trump also expressed that, he believes, Ukraine will have to give up land to Russia.

Asked what the European leaders thought about “land swaps,” which may or may not include Russia giving back land it took illegally, but no actual Russian land, Trump replied: “While they understand — look, everybody can play cute and this and that, but, you know, Ukraine’s gonna get their life back.”

“They’re gonna stop having people killed all over the place, and they’re gonna get a lot of land,” he claimed, not mentioning that that land belongs to Ukraine.

Then he accused Ukraine of attacking Russia, and suggested they were the provocateur.

“But this was a war, and Russia is a powerful military nation, you know, whether people like it or not, it’s a powerful nation,” Trump said. “It’s a much bigger nation.”

“It’s not a war that should have been started. You don’t do that. You don’t take on a nation that’s ten times your size and you know, military experts — look, look, here, if it wasn’t for the greatest military equipment. We make the greatest military equipment in the world, and we gave them— So, you know, whatever they took — probably a lot of money, too — but they had tremendous, you know, they had the Patriot missile, which is the best in the world.”

READ MORE: Trump Pushes Mail-In Ballot Ban While Zelenskyy Waits

“All the equipment, we make the best equipment in the world by far. Everyone else is like, nothing. So we gave them a lot of equipment. Now, with that said, the Ukrainian soldiers were brave as hell. Cause’s fighting a force that’s much, much bigger. Superior, much more powerful.”

Critics denounced Trump’s claims.

“For the umpteenth time, Trump blames Ukraine for starting the war. Trump can never be trusted. He works for Putin,” wrote podcaster and former GOP congressman Joe Walsh.

“Really crystallizesTrump’s world view that bigger nations can bully smaller ones just because they can,” wrote communications expert Eric Koch.

Watch the video below or at this link.

Trump: “Russia is a powerful military nation whether people like it or not. It’s a much bigger nation. It’s not a war that should have been started, you don’t do that. You don’t take on a nation that’s 10x your size.” pic.twitter.com/0kM0SpJlZr

— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) August 19, 2025

READ MORE: ‘Lies’: In Rant, Trump Falsely Claims States Are Mere ‘Agents’ of Federal Government

Image via Reuters

President Donald Trump is being mocked after a White House aide posted a photo of him showing off his collection of MAGA merchandise to several world leaders inside an area of the White House that appears to be set up like a gift shop.

Leaders from France, Italy, the UK, Germany, and Finland, along with the Secretary General of NATO and the European Commission President attended a White House meeting on Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an effort to broker a peace deal over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal war. Trump had snubbed the European leaders’ arrival but later met with them.

Some estimates say up to 350,000 troops have been killed since Putin attacked Ukraine in February of 2022. The number of Ukrainian civilians killed has been estimated to be over 13,000, with tens of thousands wounded and missing.

READ MORE: Trump Pushes Mail-In Ballot Ban While Zelenskyy Waits

“According to the British Ministry of Defence, more than one million Russian troops have been killed or injured since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022,” The Guardian reported in June. “Ukraine has suffered very high losses as well, with between 60,000 and 100,000 personnel killed and total casualties reaching approximately 400,000.”

Some estimates put the number of Ukrainian children kidnapped and taken to Russia to be in the hundreds of thousands. Others put the number at about 35,000.

The shelves of the White House’s MAGA merchandise area appear lined with dozens of hats — thirteen different styles — including ones that read “Trump 2028,” “Gulf of America,” and his iconic “Make America Great Again” and “USA.” There are also towels, several coffee table books, a candle, an engraved tray, and other gift-like items.

Margo Martin, a Special Assistant to the President and Communications Advisor, from her official White House account, posted the photo (below) and wrote: “President @realDonaldTrump showing President Zelenskyy and President Macron his 4 More Years hat 🤣🇺🇸”

In the photo, President Macron can be seen holding a small wooden box.

Presumably Trump is not selling any of his MAGA merchandise inside the White House, which is on federal property and governed by rules including the Hatch Act. While Presidents are excluded from that law, White House officials are not.

Critics blasted the President.

READ MORE: ‘Don’t Be Surprised’: George Conway Says Trump Might Pull Out of NATO ‘Tonight’

“Imagine, your country is being bombed, your people killed, and not only does this man want to show you his hats, his staff thinks everyone should hear that he showed you his hats,” wrote former journalist Travis Fain.

“Unserious and embarrassing” declared South Dakota Democratic state lawmaker Linda Duba.

“It is against the constitution to run for a 3rd term,” wrote CBS News’ Ryan Sprouse, before citing the Twenty-Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Foreign affairs journalist Olga Nesterova wrote: “Exit through a gift shop.”

One social media user lamented: “I hope everyone realizes that this photo will be seen across the globe. Our ignorant President is a laughing stock. So is our country.”

See the White House image below or at this link.

President @realDonaldTrump showing President Zelenskyy and President Macron his 4 More Years hat 🤣🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/c7dhAkZMuF

— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) August 19, 2025

READ MORE: ‘Lies’: In Rant, Trump Falsely Claims States Are Mere ‘Agents’ of Federal Government

Image via Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled from Kyiv to Washington, D.C. on Monday in hopes of ending Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal war against his country, but critics charge what he got instead was a “show” and a “charade” by an unserious American president who was falsely babbling about skyrocketing attendance at D.C. restaurants, blaming President Joe Biden for the war, and ranting about mail-in voting.

Some wondered why the talks between the White House and President Zelenskyy started with a press conference, when nothing had yet been debated or decided.

On Monday morning, in a lengthy rant on his Truth Social website, President Trump declared war on mail-in voting — just days after he had claimed that President Putin, on Friday, “said you can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting.”

READ MORE: Trump Snubs Seven Top European Leaders After Rolling Out Red Carpet for Putin

During the press event, Trump continued his attacks on mail-in voting, which exists in many countries around the world, including in Europe and Russia.

“Mail-in ballots are corrupt,” Trump told reporters, despite the President of Ukraine sitting next to him waiting, and wanting to end the war. “Mail-in ballots, you can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots.”

He promised “an executive order that’s being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they’re corrupt and do you know that we’re the only country in the world, I believe, I may be wrong, but just about the only country in the world that uses them because of what’s happened: massive fraud all over the place.”

The president’s characterizations of mail-in voting are incorrect, according to studies and experts.

Trump went on about watermarked paper ballots being better, he claimed, and about his desire to get rid on voting machines — while claiming paper ballots deliver results faster.

READ MORE: ‘Don’t Be Surprised’: George Conway Says Trump Might Pull Out of NATO ‘Tonight’

“It’s time that the Republicans get tough and stop it, because the Democrats want it, it’s the only way they can get elected , because with men and women’s sports and with transgender for everybody and open borders and all of the horrible things and now the new thing is, they love crime,” Trump declared.

Trump echoes comments he said Putin made to him last Friday: “Mail in ballots are corrupt. You can never have a real democracy with mail in ballots. We as a Republican Party are gonna do everything possible we can to get rid of mail in ballots. We’re gonna start with an executive… pic.twitter.com/RpoaXHkFUt

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 18, 2025

The discussion about mail-in voting did not end there.

Trump appeared to say that Democrats want mail-in voting but won’t get elected if it is in place.

“I think we got to stop mail-in voting, and the Republicans have to lead the charge. The Democrats want it because they have horrible policies. If you have mail-in voting, you’re not gonna have many Democrats get elected. That’s bigger than anything having to do with redistricting, believe me,” Trump said.

Trump: If you have mail in voting, you’re not going to have many Democrats get elected. That’s bigger than anything having to do with redistricting, believe me. pic.twitter.com/xWVhbBGIaF

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 18, 2025

Watch the videos above or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Lies’: In Rant, Trump Falsely Claims States Are Mere ‘Agents’ of Federal Government

Image via Reuters