Fox News host Sean Hannity pressed President Donald Trump in an interview on claims made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested the war in Ukraine would not have begun if Trump had been in office.

Asked about the remark, Trump responded: “I know the reason — it’s gross incompetence. We have a border that’s totally closed now... we have many things that are going well now.”

The president did not elaborate on what specifically led to what he described as “gross incompetence,” but his comments echoed past criticism of his predecessor’s foreign policy handling. Trump has frequently argued that his administration’s approach to global affairs — combined with a tougher stance toward Moscow — would have deterred Russia from launching its invasion of Ukraine.

The exchange comes just days after Trump’s three-hour summit with Putin in Alaska, which Trump described as “very extensive” but not yet resulting in a formal agreement. Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington, a follow-up aimed at balancing U.S. outreach to both Moscow and Kyiv.

Analysts say Trump’s sharp words highlight his effort to contrast his leadership style with that of previous administrations, while at the same time presenting himself as a potential broker of peace in Ukraine.