President Donald Trump has accused his predecessor Joe Biden of sabotaging Ukraine’s war effort by prohibiting strikes against Russian territory, arguing that defensive-only warfare cannot achieve victory.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump compared the restrictions to “a great team in sports that has a fantastic defense, but is not allowed to play offense,” stating there would be “no chance of winning” under such conditions.

“Crooked and grossly incompetent Joe Biden would not let Ukraine FIGHT BACK, only DEFEND,” Trump wrote. “How did that work out?”

He also claimed the war would never have occurred under his presidency.

Trump accompanied his criticism with a photo collage featuring his recent meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August, alongside an image from the 1959 “Kitchen Debate” between Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

The historical reference points to a Cold War-era exchange about capitalism versus socialism that took place at an American exhibition in Moscow. The parallel isn’t subtle. Trump sees himself following Nixon’s tough-talking tradition with Russia.

Ukrainian officials repeatedly pressed Washington for permission to strike deeper into Russia. Their argument: How do you defeat an enemy you can’t hit where it hurts?

According to Financial Times reporting from July, Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that deeper strikes into Russia made sense. The strategy: “make them feel pain” and force Moscow to negotiate.

Since January 2025, Ukrainian long-range drone strikes deep inside Russia caused more than $74 billion in damage—about 4% of Russia’s yearly economy.

Most of the attacks have focused on important targets like oil refineries, storage facilities, pumping stations, ports, and other key infrastructure.

About 39% of strikes were between 500 and 1,000 kilometers inside Russia, with some reaching over 1,000 kilometers, showing Ukraine’s strong reach. These strikes have hurt Russia’s economy that finances the war effort.