“Crimea will stay with Russia,” Trump said in a TIME interview released Friday. “And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along. Again, this is Obama’s war. This is a war that should have never happened.”

Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014 as a sign of the country’s future ambitions toward conquering Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Trump largely blamed Obama, who was in the midst of his second term, for Russia taking control of Crimea. “It was handed to them by Barack Hussein Obama, and not by me,” he said.

He also suggested that Crimea could be a better fit with Russia than Ukraine. “With that being said, will they be able to get it back? They’ve had their Russians,” he added. They’ve had their submarines there for long before any period that we’re talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea.”

“But this was given by Obama,” he added. “This wasn’t given by Trump. Would it have been taken from me like it was taken from Obama? No, it wouldn’t have happened. Crimea, if I were president, it would not have been taken.”

Zelensky recently suggested he was surprised by Trump’s peace plan, which involves Russia retaining control of Crimea. “The United States of America offered its visions. There was a meeting in London, so there was an appropriate strategy that they proposed constructively,” he told reporters. “Our team, the European team, the U.S. representatives, they did discuss it, and some bullet points emerged on paper after the U.S. proposal.”

“After the United States’s proposal, other papers appeared, and I believe that today this format, this document is on the president,” Zelensky added.

Trump said Wednesday that Zelensky’s comments on Crimea are “very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia.”

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” he posted on Truth Social.

He later appeared to backpedal on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a missile assault on Kyiv. “I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” he posted on Truth Social. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin on Friday in Moscow. Ahead of their meeting, a senior Russian military official was killed in a car bombing by an unknown perpetrator.

TRUMP VICTORY RAISES QUESTIONS OVER FUTURE OF UKRAINE MILITARY AID

Trump also said in the interview that Ukraine’s interest in joining NATO may have started the war. The military alliance joining with Ukraine could’ve solidified their safety further.

“I don’t think they’ll ever be able to join NATO,” he said. “I think that’s been—from day one, I think that’s been, that’s I think what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining NATO. If that weren’t brought up, there would have been a much better chance that it wouldn’t have started.”