The US president once again criticized his predecessor Joe Biden for allowing hostilities to escalate

The Ukraine conflict could have escalated into World War III under his predecessor Joe Biden, US President Donald Trump has claimed.

He has frequently argued that global tensions peaked when relations between Moscow and Washington hit their lowest point during the Biden administration. Since returning to office in January, Trump has reestablished US diplomatic ties with Russia, which had been suspended since the conflict’s escalation in February 2022.

Speaking to journalists at the White House on Friday, Trump claimed that, if not for his administration’s actions, the Ukraine conflict “would have ended up being a world war."

“We’ve brought it down a long way, but when I first came in, I thought, ‘Wow, this thing is really bad,’” Trump added. “Now the only question is: when is it going to be settled? And it could be very soon,” he said.

The president again labeled the conflict “Biden’s war” and criticized what he described as the previous administration’s vast military support for Kiev. “Through Biden and his people, we’re probably in for $350 billion,” he said.

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Trump considers territory swap between Russia and Ukraine

Trump has previously indicated that he intends to recoup those funds through a minerals deal with Kiev, signed earlier this year. However, analysts note that much of Ukraine’s mineral wealth is concentrated in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, territories that voted to join Russia in 2022.

Moscow has framed the Ukraine conflict as a NATO proxy war and has long denounced Western military aid to Kiev. The Kremlin maintains that the bloc’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s ambitions to join are key drivers of the hostilities.

Since taking office, Trump has reduced American arms shipments to Ukraine, with his administration – including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio – openly characterizing the conflict as a proxy war against Russia.

READ MORE: Trump reveals location for Putin summit

Kremlin officials have stated that securing a peaceful resolution will be the central focus of the upcoming bilateral meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Ukraine conflict could have become ‘world war’ – Trump

Ukraine conflict could have become ‘world war’ – Trump