Zelenskyy says Ukraine will send firefighters to California after Trump Jr. jab
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he may send Ukrainian firefighters to help battle the blazes raging in California after Donald Trump Jr. dragged the Los Angeles County Fire Department for donating some supplies to Ukraine's defense.
In a Sunday video statement, the Ukrainian president said he'd instructed Ukraine's Minister of Interior Affairs and diplomats to "prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combatting the wildfires in California." He said 150 Ukrainian firefighters were ready to help.
"The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives," he said.
More: Zelensky says Ukraine ready to trade captured North Koreans for Ukrainian prisoners
It came after Donald Trump Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's oldest son, reposted snapshots of a local news report that the Los Angeles County Fire Department donated surplus supplies to Ukraine shortly after the country was invaded by Russia in 2022.
"Oh look of course The LA fire department donated a bunch of their supplies to Ukraine," Trump Jr. wrote.
More: Where are mandatory evacuation orders today for California wildfires? See LA County maps
According to its announcement at the time, the fire department donated extra hoses, nozzles, turnouts, helmets, body armor, and other "personal protective equipment" to war-torn Ukraine.
"As Ukrainian firefighters continue to work under extreme peril to remove victims with limited resources, we felt the need to step up and help in some way,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby said in the 2022 news release. Osby said it was the first time the department donated supplies to a war effort, ABC-7 reported. He has since retired.
Trump blames Biden, Newsom for California wildfires
As historic wildfires raged across southern California, Trump blamed the disaster on mismanagement by state and local Democratic officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.
Biden, who leaves office Jan. 20, avoided commenting on Trump's accusations in a Thursday news conference, saying, "we’re going to make sure you get every resource you need."
More: Donald Trump blames Gavin Newsom for California fires, as Biden pledges 6 months of aid
Newsom said on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that “mis- and disinformation I don’t think advantages or aids any of us.”
Since Tuesday, wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 acres across southern California and demolished more than 12,000 buildings. At least two dozen people are dead and more than 150,000 people have been forced from their homes.
Speculation mounts over Trump's approach to Ukraine
With Trump set to take office in a week, his son's comments are the latest jab against Ukraine from within his orbit, stirring speculation over how he will handle U.S. support for the country's defense.
The U.S. has sent more than $30 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in Feb. of 2022. On the campaign trail, Trump often called the continuation of that funding into question. He has called for a cease-fire and the beginning of negotiations.
Vice President-elect J.D. Vance has laid out a peace proposal to end the war in which Ukraine's borders would freeze where current battle lines stand and its entrance to NATO would be indefinitely suspended.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zelenskyy says Ukraine will help fight CA fires after Trump Jr. jab