Fact check: Why is the us president claiming Ukraine started the war with Russia?

1. Summary of the results

The original statement contains a misunderstanding. Former President Trump is not explicitly claiming Ukraine started the war, but rather suggesting that Ukraine "should have ended it three years ago" and "should have never started it" ^[1], implying they could have prevented the conflict through concessions or negotiations. Historical facts clearly show that Russia, not Ukraine, initiated the conflict by launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022, following the earlier annexation of Crimea in 2014 ^{[2] [3]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial pieces of context are missing from the original statement:

• The International Court of Justice has officially rejected Russia's claims about Ukraine starting the conflict ^[2]
• There's a clear timeline of Russian aggression, starting with:
• The annexation of Crimea in 2014
• Support for separatists in eastern Ukraine
• The full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022 ^[3]

President Zelensky's position that Ukraine must be involved in any discussions about ending the war ^[4]

Trump's statements appear to focus on negotiation and diplomatic efforts rather than direct accusations of starting the conflict ^[5]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement reflects several potential sources of misinformation:

• It misinterprets Trump's criticism of Ukraine's approach to the conflict as an accusation of starting the war ^{[1] [5]}
• It overlooks the broader context of disinformation narratives surrounding the conflict's origins ^[6]
• The statement benefits those who seek to shift responsibility for the conflict from Russia to Ukraine, potentially serving Russian interests in the information war
• Trump's statements about Ukraine's responsibility appear to lack substantive evidence to support such claims ^[7]

The confusion stems from ambiguous language that conflates criticism of Ukraine's diplomatic approach with accusations about starting the conflict, potentially contributing to broader disinformation narratives about the war's origins.