Ukrainian official urges FBI to probe Trump advisors for Russian propaganda after Sumy strike “mistake” comment

A senior Ukrainian lawmaker, Oleksandr Merezhko, called for an FBI investigation into President Donald Trump’s inner circle after Trump characterized a deadly Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy as a “mistake,” according to The Times.

The controversy stems from Trump’s response when journalists asked him to comment on the 13 April Russian strike on the city center of Sumy, northeastern Ukraine. The attack, which occurred on Palm Sunday, killed 35 people, including two children, and wounded over 100 civilians.

The US president indicated he had information suggesting Russia “made a mistake,” though he provided no further clarification about this assessment.

Oleksandr Merezhko, who chairs Ukraine’s parliamentary committee on foreign policy, told The Times that Trump’s comments were deeply troubling and warranted investigation to identify potential sources of Russian propaganda within the president’s team.

“It’s like saying that 9/11 was just a ‘mistake’ by Al-Qaeda,” Merezhko told The Times. “This is a very alarming statement from Trump, which simultaneously encourages Putin to continue atrocities and demonstrates that someone in Trump’s circle is promoting Russian narratives.”

In his Truth Social post on 14 April, Trump wrote that the Russo-Ukrainian war is “Biden’s war, not mine.”

The US President claimed it never would have happened under his watch, asserting that Putin respected him. Trump also stated that the 2020 election was rigged, which he believes led to the war. He blamed both Zelenskyy and former US President Biden for allowing the “travesty to begin” while insisting he’s now “working diligently” to end the fighting.

Later, Trump once again blamed Biden and Zelenskyy for the war Russia started during a press conference with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office.

“Millions of people died because of three people. Let’s say Putin number one. But let’s say Biden, who had no idea what the hell he was doing, number two. And Zelenskyy. All I can do is try and stop it,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy invited Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the “suffering” firsthand before making decisions on negotiations.

The Russian ballistic missile attack targeted civilian infrastructure in Sumy, including Sumy State University buildings and residential homes.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been sharing information about the attack with international partners. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha requested a “decisive response” from allies, specifically calling for additional air defense systems and increased pressure on Moscow.