Zelenskyy responds to Trump's statements on ending war in Ukraine: 'Does he want to be a loser president?'
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
US presidential candidate Donald Trump's intentions to end the war in Ukraine through concessions may not only be dangerous for Ukraine but also the US position in the world, says President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his interview with The Guardian.
Zelenskyy is confident that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not stop in Ukraine and will continue on if he wins the war. According to the president, Trump's possible agreement with Putin will not stop the Kremlin leader.
"I don't understand, does he really want to be a loser president? Let's imagine that Trump became president and decided to end the war at the expense of Ukraine. For example. And somehow he received confirmation from Putin that this is a stop, that's it. Ukrainians will not put up with this, but he can then say that he does not give us any support, and Ukraine cannot fight without weapons. Let's just imagine. And imagine for a second that after that Putin will go further. Who will this US president be for the whole world?" he said.
Zelenskyy says that if Putin wins, the US president will look weak. This is not only about the personal character of the American leader, but also about the institutional capacity of the United States.
"And then Putin will move on, realizing that the United States is no longer such a big player. And then other authoritarian leaders of other countries will enter the arena. And so you have a ceasefire and the beginning of what everyone is afraid to talk about. This is World War III," the Ukrainian president said.
Trump's statements about Ukraine
Former US President Donald Trump opposed increasing aid to Ukraine. In his opinion, aid should be provided in the form of a loan, not a "gift."
He also repeatedly stated that he would be able to end the war in Ukraine in a few days by direct contact with Putin.
Recently, Trump made a surprising statement at one of his meetings with potential campaign donors. He said that he would bomb Moscow and Beijing if Russia invaded Ukraine or China invaded Taiwan.
