Trump blamed a Russian general for failing to take Kyiv
He called the general an "idiot" for "getting the tanks stuck in the mud" and expressed doubt that he was still alive.
Trump blamed a Russian general for failing to capture Kyiv
Before coming to power, US President Donald Trump had promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours, but the peace talks initiated on his initiative have yet to show significant progress. Donald Trump also regularly speaks about the early days of the full-scale invasion — each time slightly altering the details, recalling the Russian tanks that headed for Kyiv but got stuck in the mud.
During a conversation with journalists at the White House on October 20, the US President mentioned this event once again, and this time focused on one of the Russian generals in particular.
"A stupid Russian general, a very stupid man. They were traveling with thousands of tanks along a concrete highway. Nothing could stop them. The war would have been over in one day. But this foolish general — I don't even know who he is, I doubt he's alive now, it's unlikely he's still with us — turns right toward the fields, then turns left, and heads toward Kyiv. Instead of staying on the highway, on the concrete highway, where they had been moving very well until then, he makes that decision. In the end, the tanks get stuck in the mud."
The Russian troops' advance toward Kyiv, which entered from Belarus in February 2022, was led by Colonel General Aleksandr Chaiko. The publication notes that the failure of the offensive was not caused by his decision to deviate from the main road.
The advance on Kyiv was stopped by the Ukrainian military. On February 26, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine blew up a bridge over the Irpin River outside the capital, and while the Russian troops were attempting to bypass the water barrier, the Kozarovychi dam was breached. Furthermore, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed a column of Russian armored vehicles lined up in Bucha. The Russian army suffered serious losses, and the command was forced to bring in reinforcements from Belarus.
After the offensive failed, Chaiko was removed from command and sent to lead Russia's contingent in Syria. He remained there until June 2025, at which point a coup d'état occurred in the country, and President Bashar al-Assad lost power and fled to Moscow.