Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on former US President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and see the devastation brought by Russia’s invasion before proceeding with any type of negotiations for the war to end.
Appealing directly to Trump in a CBS ’60 Minutes’ interview, Zelenskyy said he needs to see the destruction himself to realize the character of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” Zelenskyy said. “You will understand with whom you have a deal.”
“Not a Theatre”: Zelenskyy Offers Unfiltered Access
Zelenskyy stressed that a visit by Trump would not be staged or choreographed. “If Trump decides to visit Ukraine, we will not prepare anything. It will not be theatre,” he said, continuing, “You can go exactly where you want, in any city which has been under attack.”
The president of Ukraine has repeatedly cautioned against Putin’s real intentions, saying that the Russian president has no real intention of stopping the war.
“I told that to President Trump many times. So when you ask why the ceasefire isn’t working – this is why. Putin never wanted an end to the war. Putin never wanted us to be independent. Putin wants to destroy us completely – our sovereignty and our people,” Zelenskyy reported.
Call for Just Peace and Reclaiming Occupied Territory
Talking of a possible resolution through peace, Zelenskyy claimed that Ukraine would not sacrifice any independence or part of its territorial integrity. “To not lose our sovereignty or our independence. We, no matter what, will take back what is ours because we never lost it — the Russians took it from us.”
This invite comes after a tense confrontation in February between Vice President JD Vance, Zelenskyy, and Donald Trump at the White House. During the encounter, Vance alleged that Zelenskyy was staging “propaganda tours” for foreign leaders, something Zelenskyy strongly denied.
Trump has been urging an end to the almost three-year-old Russia- Ukraine conflict. It has been reported that Washington has engaged in direct peace negotiations with both Kyiv and Moscow. While Ukraine has signed on to a US-sponsored proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, Russia has not yet accepted the conditions.
Deadly Strike in Sumy Region Draws US Reaction
On Sunday, a fatal missile attack in Ukraine’s Sumy area killed at least 34 civilians. Trump denigrated the assault on board Air Force One, “I think it was terrible. And I was told they made a mistake. But I think it’s a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.”
While the White House has not officially accused Russia yet, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to it as a “horrifying Russian missile attack” and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
The incident occurred just two days after Trump’s presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, sat down with Putin in Moscow to negotiate a potential truce.
