Trump Slams Obama, Biden Over ‘Massive Failure’ on Crimea, Calls for Peace Deal With Russia

President Donald Trump didn’t hold back last month when addressing Russia’s missile strikes during ongoing peace talks, calling it a serious setback and placing blame squarely on past administrations—particularly those of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Before boarding Air Force One, President Trump spoke to reporters on a range of international issues, including the stalled peace negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the status of discussions with Iran, and the tragic suicide of Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.

Trump said he had a “very good” meeting with Zelenskyy ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral and expressed concern over Russia’s aggressive actions despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.

“We’ll see what happens over the next few days,” Trump remarked. “I was very disappointed that missiles were flying, by Russia… very disappointed.”

A major issue raised during his talks with Zelenskyy was Crimea—an area that remains a critical sticking point for Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian leader, reclaiming Crimea is non-negotiable, a stance he’s reiterated consistently, including in this public statement.

Reports have suggested that some U.S. officials have floated the idea of a ceasefire that would allow Russia to retain control of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. However, Zelenskyy has remained firm, previously stating that the war “began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – and its liberation,” as noted by Axios in 2022.

While Zelenskyy continues to reject any compromise on Crimea, President Trump pointed to the real source of the problem: the weak leadership of Obama and Biden.

“Crimea was given away by Barack Hussein Obama, and by Biden, like 11 or 12 years ago. That’s a long time ago,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t know how he could bring up Crimea, because that’s been a long time. Nobody brought it up for 12 years, and now they’re bringing it up now. So, I told them, I told him, he should maybe go back to Obama, ask him why they gave it up. They gave it without a shot being fired by him.”

On the broader question of peace, Trump said he’s encouraging Putin to stop the violence and come to the table.

“We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it,” the president said, reaffirming his goal to bring the conflict to an end.

He didn’t miss the opportunity to contrast his leadership with that of the previous administration.

“There’s no more games,” Trump said. “We have somebody that knows what he’s doing, not like the previous person who didn’t have a clue.”

In the wake of renewed Russian missile strikes, President Trump took to Truth Social to condemn the escalation and hint at additional punitive measures.

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary Sanctions?’ Too many people are dying!!!” he wrote.

While Trump continues to push for a peaceful resolution, he also raised concerns over Zelenskyy’s hardline stance, warning it could sabotage diplomatic progress.

“Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, ‘Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here.’ This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion,” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform.