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Published 09:49 IST, January 21st 2024

Zelenskyy Warns Trump's Rhetoric on Russia-Ukraine War is 'Very Dangerous'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the return of Ex-US President Donald Trump to the Oval Office could turn out to be 'dangerous' for Ukraine.

Reported by: Bhagyasree Sengupta
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Former US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Former US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Image: AP

Kyiv - Amid the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that the return of former US President Donald Trump to the Oval Office could dampen reaching a peaceful conclusion in the ravaging conflict. In an interview with UK’s Channel 4 News, the Ukrainian leader emphasized that Trump's rhetoric of stopping the war is “very dangerous”. He claimed that Trump could formulate a unilateral decision on the war which can be favourable to Russia. For time immemorial, the Former US President insisted that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, if he gets re-elected to the office. 

“He is going to make decisions on his own, without … I’m not even talking about Russia, but without both sides, without us,” the Ukrainian leader said in the interview. “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. 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,” he added. The Ukrainian President went on to mention that he would like to invite the former US President to Ukraine, to understand the kind of devastation the country has witnessed, in the war which will complete 2 years in February. “Donald Trump, I invite you to Ukraine, to Kyiv. If you can stop the war in 24 hours, I think it will be enough to come,” Zelenskyy said.

What's Trump's stance on the matter?

According to The Associated Press, the Former US President has repeatedly insisted that he is well-positioned to negotiate the end to the war. In September last year, Trump said that if the US President gets re-elected, he would resolve the war within 24 hours. “If I tell you exactly, I lose all my bargaining chips. I mean, you can’t really say exactly what you’re going to do. But I would say certain things to Putin. I would say certain things to Zelenskyy,” he said. The Business-mogul-turned politician insisted he had good relations with Russian and Ukrainian leadership. However, he went on to mention Putin as a “very smart man” and emphasised that the Russian leader has taken over a “great piece of land”.  The ongoing war has become a matter of concern for Ukraine after Russian lawmakers prepared a bill that will allow authorities to confiscate money and property from people who spread "deliberately false information" about the country's armed forces," VOA reported. "Everyone who tries to destroy Russia, who betrays it, must face deserved punishment and compensate for the damage inflicted on the country, at the cost of their own property," a senior member of Russian parliament Volodin wrote on Telegram. 

Updated 09:49 IST, January 21st 2024