Trump on Thursday said the US was “not directly involved” in Russia’s war on Ukraine, as Moscow stepped up attacks on the country and civilian casualties continued to rise.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday sought to distance Washington from Russia’s intensifying attacks on Ukraine, saying the United States was “not directly involved” in the war when asked about the growing number of strikes on civilian targets.
“Look, we’re not involved. We’re separated by an ocean,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Trump, however, said he was troubled by the mounting death toll from the war, claiming that Russia and Ukraine were losing an average of 25,000 people a month, “mostly soldiers”.
“I hate to see 25,000 young people a month get killed,” he said.
Trump blames Biden-era aid for US weapons shortages
Trump also criticised former President Joe Biden’s military support for Ukraine, claiming that his administration had provided Kyiv with “$300 billion worth of ammunition”.
“We want missiles too,” Trump said, arguing that the extensive military assistance to Ukraine had depleted US weapons stockpiles.
Trump said the US was now rebuilding its arsenal and using up munitions that Washington otherwise may not have needed to deploy.
Russia’s latest strikes kill at least 21
Trump’s remarks came as Russia launched another wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks across Ukraine on Thursday, killing at least 21 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said additional air-defence interceptors “could have saved lives” as Kyiv seeks to strengthen its defences against Russia’s increasingly intense missile attacks.
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Zelensky has also appealed to Trump for permission to produce Patriot air-defence missiles domestically to bolster Ukraine’s ability to counter Russian ballistic missiles. The White House has said it has not yet made a final decision on the request.
UN chief condemns ‘clear violation’ of international law
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said June was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians in four years, roughly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
“This latest series of attacks follows an alarming pattern of escalating strikes against populated areas,” Guterres said, warning of a record-level rise in civilian casualties and widespread destruction of residential and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as increasingly in Russia.
The UN chief described the attacks as a “clear violation” and called for an end to the violence targeting civilians.