President Donald Trump, 79, drew criticism Sunday after offering a brief and emotionally detached message to families of Americans killed while fighting in Ukraine, with many noting the stark contrast to his effusive praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago to discuss a peace deal, Trump was asked about his message to the families of the fallen Americans. “What a shame. They died in a foreign country,” Trump said before immediately moving to the next question.
About 100 Americans have died fighting in Ukraine, with at least 92 killed as of September. Several thousand Americans volunteered to fight for Ukraine after Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. Many of the fallen Americans were U.S. military veterans who brought combat experience to the conflict.
Among the dead was Mike Meoli, 71, a retired Navy Seal and firefighter who was killed in November, 2024, while training medics in Ukraine. Nicholas Maimer, 45, an Army Special Forces veteran, was killed in May, 2023, during an artillery barrage. Ian Frank Tortorici, 32, a retired U.S. Marines corporal, died in July, 2023, when a Russian missile hit a restaurant where he was eating while on leave.
The U.S. government declined to provide aid to American fighters in Ukraine to avoid any suggestion of a direct clash with Russia, a nuclear power.
Trump’s brief condolences stood in sharp contrast to his comments about Putin during the same press availability. Trump said Putin was generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding and that he understood Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire.
Trump said he understood Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire. This came despite Putin sending over 100 drones on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, attacks that killed at least seven civilians.
The president’s remarks drew immediate comparisons on social media to a controversy from 2018, when Trump reportedly called fallen World War I soldiers suckers and losers during a trip to France. Those comments became a major issue during Trump’s first term.
Critics noted that Trump failed to thank the fallen Americans for their sacrifice, praise their commitment to freedom and democracy, or offer personal condolences to their families. The contrast between his cursory acknowledgment of American deaths and his praise for Putin highlighted what many saw as misplaced priorities during a diplomatic meeting meant to advance peace negotiations.
The talks between Trump and Zelensky were intended to address security guarantees and possible territorial concessions.
The American volunteers who died in Ukraine represented a cross-section of U.S. military experience. Many were Special Forces veterans, former Marines, or retired Navy personnel who chose to put their skills to use defending Ukrainian sovereignty. Their decisions to volunteer came despite the lack of official U.S. government support, with Washington maintaining distance from American fighters to prevent escalation with Moscow.
Meoli had traveled to Ukraine specifically to train medics on the front lines, using his experience as both a military professional and civilian firefighter. Maimer helped train Ukrainian officers before his death. Tortorici fought on the front lines before being killed during what should have been a respite from combat.
The meeting at Mar-a-Lago marked a significant moment in efforts to broker an end to the conflict that has raged since 2022. Trump has repeatedly promised to quickly resolve the war, though the path to peace remains unclear given the wide gap between Russian and Ukrainian positions.
Trump’s comments about understanding Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire suggest he may be more sympathetic to Russian concerns than Ukrainian territorial integrity. This approach has raised concerns among Ukraine’s supporters about whether any peace deal would require significant Ukrainian concessions.
The Christmas attacks that killed seven civilians demonstrated Putin’s willingness to continue strikes on Ukrainian population centers even during holiday periods. The barrage of more than 100 drones represented a significant escalation during what many hoped would be a period of reduced hostilities.
The fallen Americans’ families now face grief compounded by what many perceived as inadequate recognition from the president. Their loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for democratic values abroad, yet received only passing acknowledgment from the commander-in-chief while he lavished praise on the authoritarian leader whose forces killed them.
