Russia lost over 112,000 soldiers in 2025, war should ‘never have happened’: Trump pins blame on Biden

US President Donald Trump - File Photo

US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers died in July alone in what he called a “ridiculous war with Ukraine.” He further asserted that Russia has lost approximately 112,500 troops since the beginning of 2025, framing the conflict as an avoidable tragedy.

Trump also acknowledged Ukrainian casualties, stating that around 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since January 1, not including the missing. He added that civilian losses were smaller but ongoing, as “Russian rockets crash into Kyiv and other Ukrainian locales.”

Calling the war “unnecessary,” Trump reiterated his long-standing position that the conflict would not have erupted under his administration, labeling it “Biden’s War, not Trump’s.” He concluded by framing himself as a potential peace-broker, writing: “I’m just here to see if I can stop it!”

Trump has Thursday threatened fresh sanctions while slamming Russia's military actions in Ukraine as "disgusting," as strikes on Kyiv killed at least 16 people. Trump also said he would send his special envoy Steve Witkoff, currently in Israel, to visit Russia next.

Washington has given Moscow until the end of next week to cease hostilities in Ukraine, under threat of severe economic sanctions. Trump reiterated the deadline on Thursday.

Trump has previously threatened that new measures could mean "secondary tariffs" targeting Russia's remaining trade partners, such as China and India. This would further stifle Russia, but would risk significant international disruption.

The US president began his second term with his own rosy predictions that the war in Ukraine -- raging since Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022 -- would soon end.

In recent weeks, Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with Putin over Moscow's unrelenting offensive.

Russia wants a "lasting and stable peace" in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said Friday, adding that Moscow's conditions for peace remained unchanged as Kyiv repeated its call for a leaders' meeting.

Putin has consistently rejected calls to pause his nearly three-and-a-half year assault on Ukraine despite growing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who issued a 10-day ultimatum earlier this week to stop the fighting.