Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Donald Trump risks becoming a "loser president" if he wins the November elections and imposes a bad peace deal on Ukraine. According to him, this would mean the end of the USA as a global "player."
In an interview with The Guardian in Kyiv, Zelensky stated that there is still "no strategy" on what to do if Trump returns to the White House, and that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has approached him on his behalf.
If Trump defeats Joe Biden, it is expected that he will cease US military support for Ukraine. Last year, Trump boasted that he could end the war in "24 hours."
Trump's aides earlier outlined a possible plan that would involve handing over the eastern regions of Ukraine to Russia, as well as Crimea. However, Zelensky suggested that "Ukrainians will not reconcile with this." They will not accept a Russian "ultimatum" forcing Ukraine to abandon integration with Europe and its future NATO membership, he said.
Zelensky admitted that a re-elected Trump could, if he really wanted, impose a devastating military defeat on Ukraine. He could cut off "support, weapons, and money" and even "make deals" with Kyiv's partners to stop vital weapons supplies.
"Ukraine alone, without weapons, will not be able to fight against a multi-million-strong Russian army," Zelensky said.
Speaking at his presidential headquarters, he stated that this scenario, in his opinion, is unlikely. But he said that if it happens, there will be serious consequences for the US's position in the world, as well as personally for Trump. "Does he want to become a loser? Does he understand what might happen?"
He predicted that Vladimir Putin would violate any deal made by Trump. "Ceasefire is a trap," he said. After the pause, Putin will "continue," humiliating Trump and making him appear "very weak" in the eyes of the world, he said.
"It's not about him (Trump) as a person, but about the institutions of the United States. They will become very weak. The US will no longer be a world leader. Yes, they will be strong, primarily in the domestic economy, because undoubtedly they have a powerful economy. But in terms of international influence, it will be zero."
Realizing that Washington is no longer a "player," other predominantly authoritarian states and leaders will "enter the arena" and mimic Putin's aggressive "approach," Zelensky suggested.
Ultimately, this will end in a global catastrophe: "The beginning of what everyone is so afraid to talk about. This is reality. And this is the real third world war."
Asked if Johnson had spoken to Trump on behalf of Ukraine, Zelensky replied: "I think he tried, and I think he talked to him. I think so, as far as I know. I'm sorry that I'm using Boris as a tool," he added.
Zelensky made his comments a day before a New York jury convicted Trump on all 34 counts of falsifying business documents. The verdict in the "hush money" case made him the first former president convicted of serious crimes in nearly 250 years of US history.
In 2019, already as president, Trump called Zelensky and asked him to investigate his election rival Biden and Biden's son Hunter. If Zelensky failed to find dirt on Hunter Biden, US security aid to Ukraine would be suspended, Trump hinted, according to a leaked conversation. The scandal led to Trump's first impeachment.
Zelensky stated that he had invited Trump to visit Ukraine.
"I want to talk to him openly. I want him to come and see the war for himself. And then let's talk to him. I think he needs it to better understand the situation," he said.
Zelensky said he understands that Trump "knows" Putin, based on statements by the former president himself. The two have met at diplomatic summits. Trump has previously called the Russian leader a "genius" and described his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as "pretty clever."
Talking to Putin is not the same as knowing him, Zelensky said, adding that for Trump to better understand, he needs "to see the results of what he brought to Ukraine" - a reference to the destruction of cities, civilian killings, and daily shelling by Russian rockets. | BGNES
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