Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is worried at the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, repeating his previous criticism of Trump’s claim he could end Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours as “very dangerous.”
In an interview with the U.K.’s Channel 4 News that aired Friday, AP reports Zelensky invited the former president and front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination to visit Kyiv on the single condition Trump delivers on his promise.
“Donald Trump, I invite you to Ukraine, to Kyiv. If you can stop the war during 24 hours, I think it will be enough to come,” Zelensky said, speaking after an address and closed-door meetings at the World Economic Forum (WEF) conclave in Davos, Switzerland, where he sought funding and donations for his country’s cause.
Follow the leader: Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), left, and Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, together at a special address on the opening day of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty)
The Ukrainian head-of-state went on to call Trump’s offer as “very dangerous” and speculated Trump’s idea of a negotiated solution with Moscow might involve Ukraine making major concessions. He said:
(Trump) is going to make decisions on his own, without … I’m not even talking about Russia, but without both sides, without us. If he says this publicly, that’s a little scary. I’ve seen a lot, a lot of victims, but that’s really making me a bit stressed.
[…] Because even if his idea (for ending the war) – that no one has heard yet – doesn’t work for us, for our people, he will do anything to implement his idea anyway. And this worries me a little.
This is not the first time Zelensky has taken issue with Trump.
As Breitbart News reported, last year Zelensky admitted he is afraid of a possible return of Trump to the White House in 2024, before begging for more American-made Patriot missile systems.
He said he was unsure how exactly the Republican leader would have reacted had Russia invaded during his presidency, instead praising President Joe Biden for his support.
“President Biden is the president during a full-scale war and he has been more helpful to us than President Trump,” Zelensky said.
Five months later he said it would take 24 minutes for him to explain to Trump he can not end the Ukraine war in 24 hours because Russian President Vladimir Putin can’t be managed, as Breitbart News reported.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Zelensky said, “Former President Trump said in 24 hours he can manage it and end this war.”
He continued, “For me, what can I say? He’s very welcome. President Biden was here, and he, I think he understood something else which you can understand only being here. I invite, President Trump if he can come here.”
Zelensky added, “I will need 24 minutes not more 24 minutes to explain to President Trump that he can’t manage this war. He can’t bring peace because of Putin. If — but always there is an ‘if.’ If he’s not trying and if he’s not ready to give our territory to this terrible man, to Putin, if you are not ready to give it, if you are not ready to give our independence, he can’t manage it.”
WATCH: Zelensky — I Will Need 24 Minutes to Explain to Trump He Can’t Manage Putin
Zelensky continues to insist there can be no peace deal that does not see the removal of all Russian forces from lands they have captured from Ukraine since 2014, including Crimea.
Ukraine’s ability to negotiate toward that result has been significantly weakened, at least in the short term, by the failure of the summer counteroffensive.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.