Did Trump mix-up Iran with Ukraine? Viral video raises questions over US president's 'militarily defeated' remark

US President Donald Trump appeared to have mixed up Ukraine and Iran while responding to a question about which war he thought would end first. The interaction went viral as Trump spoke to during press event for the Artemis II mission crew.

When a reporter asked the Trump which war might conclude first, the years-long Russian invasion of Ukraine or the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, Trump said, “I don’t know. Maybe they’re on a similar timetable." But then he gave an analysis and seemed to be confused: “I think Ukraine, militarily, they’re defeated.” He then described massive naval and air losses, saying, “They had 159 ships. Every ship is underwater… Every one of their planes has been shot down or has been decimated,” Trump claimed. “They have missiles, about 82% are gone, and they have drones, and most of them are gone.” Trump struggled to clearly separate references to Ukraine and Iran while answering questions on which conflict might end first.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

Naval claims don’t match Ukraine’s reality

According to reports, military analysts flagged a major inconsistency in Trump’s remarks about Ukraine’s navy. Ukraine’s naval capacity was significantly reduced early in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, making claims of “159 ships” inaccurate. Experts note that similar figures have previously been used in reference to Iran, not Ukraine. Reports also quoted experts saying that statements about Ukraine’s air force being wiped out are incorrect. Despite sustained pressure, Ukraine continues to operate its air force and has recently integrated F-16 fighter jets. In contrast, assessments from United States Central Command (CENTCOM) suggest that Iran’s air defence systems have suffered heavier damage, indicating the comments may better align with Iran’s situation. Another point was the repeated claim that ships were “underwater.” Analysts pointed out that Trump has often used similar language when discussing tensions in the Persian Gulf. This statement does not go in tandem with the dynamics of the Black Sea conflict involving Ukraine.