Trump bombshell: “Ukraine is militarily defeated – but you won’t see it in fake news”

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference at the White House where, among other topics, he shared his view on the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran. During the event, Trump claimed that Ukraine has been militarily defeated, citing intelligence reports, and argued that this reality does not reach the public due to what he describes as “fake news” media outlets.

The press conference followed a phone call earlier the same day between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the wars. According to Trump, their conversation dealt with the respective conflicts, which he described as constructive.

– I talked about Ukraine and a little about Iran. We discussed several different subjects, but mostly Ukraine. It was a very good conversation, said Trump.

He also expressed hope that the war in Ukraine could come to a quick end and described Vladimir Putin as open to a solution. According to Trump, Putin has previously tried to reach a peace settlement in Ukraine and it was close on one occasion, but claims that the process was complicated by other parties who, according to him, have made it difficult to achieve peace.

The phone call reportedly focused mainly on Ukraine, although Trump mentioned that the discussion repeatedly shifted to the war in Iran and the crisis at the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded for some time and is affecting world trade.

– We talked more about the war in Ukraine, but Putin apparently expressed that he wants to help. I said, before you help me, I want you to end your war, said Trump in reference to Putin’s proposal to solve the Iran conflict.

Ukraine militarily defeated

Later, when Trump was pressed on which war could come to an end, he offered detailed claims about Ukraine’s military capacity, describing the country as militarily defeated.

But according to Trump, the public is not getting the real picture of the war, since establishment media – or, as he terms them, “fake news” outlets – are conveying a completely different image of developments.

– I think Ukraine is militarily defeated. You wouldn’t know this if you read fake news, said Trump, who has access to intelligence from the CIA and the U.S. military.

The statement has also raised questions in the media about whether Trump might have mixed up the wars in Ukraine and Iran during the press conference. After his remarks on Ukraine’s military situation, he referred to the country allegedly losing its ships – information more likely related primarily to Iran, although it has in some ways also been linked to Ukraine in the Black Sea.

Researchers: Politicians and media are misleading

Earlier this spring, Samnytt reported that conflict researchers in both Sweden and Finland have argued that politicians and the media in Europe present a misleading picture of developments in Ukraine.

According to their assessments, the picture portrayed to the public does not match the situation on the ground, but is instead described as shaped by Ukrainian propaganda as well as information from European intelligence services, who are not considered independent but rather a party to the conflict.

The messages conveyed by politicians and the media are said to be aimed at maintaining continued strong support for the war, both in public opinion and for the provision of military aid financed by taxpayers.

– As a researcher, my job is to convey an accurate snapshot of the situation, and for me, that is that Ukraine is currently losing, said a Finnish researcher in the article.