Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Donald Trump's claim that he would have ended the Russia-Ukraine war "in 24 hours" if he won the 2020 presidential election.
Trump, who served as president from 2017 to 2021, has sought to blame President Joe Biden for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022. The former president has touted his relationship with Putin and negotiating skills, saying that he would have been able to end the war in just one day if he was commander-in-chief.
"My personality kept us out of war," Trump said at an event in Salem, New Hampshire, in January. "And I told you before, [it] would have never happened with Russia. Putin would have never ever gone in. And even now I could solve that in 24 hours. It's so horrible what happened. Those cities are demolished now."
Zelensky, however, voiced skepticism about Trump's ability to end the Russia-Ukraine war during an interview on ABC News' This Week on Sunday. The Ukrainian president said Trump "already" had the opportunity to step in among years of escalating tensions between Moscow and Kyiv that occurred throughout his presidency.
"It seems to me that the sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful. But this desire should be based on some real-life experience," Zelensky said in translated remarks. "Well, it looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time. We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal, but he must have had some other priorities."
Zelensky said either Biden or Trump could have ended the war "even in five minutes" by forcing Ukraine to give up large swaths of its territory to Russia, though Ukrainian leadership "would not agree" to doing so.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.
How Biden, Trump Differ on Russia-Ukraine War
Biden and Trump have taken different stances on the ongoing war between the two countries. Biden has touted his administration as a staunch supporter of Ukraine. He has not called for Ukraine to make any concessions to Russia as his administration has signaled they will continue to support Kyiv until it wins the war. Biden has also provided the Ukrainian military with billions of dollars in military aid that has been attributed with turning the tide of the war in its favor.
While Trump has spoken out against the war, he has also signaled an openness to a deal between Ukraine and Russia that would see Ukraine make some concessions, such as giving Russia the Crimean peninsula or committing to not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Trump's stance comes amid an isolationist streak among some Republicans, who have argued that Biden has provided too much military aid to Ukraine and that those funds could be better spent domestically.
Zelensky responded to those Americans who have grown weary of the billions of dollars in Ukraine aid during his interview on Sunday.
"I would like to say thank you to all Americans for what you have done, and I appreciate those who say that you've done enough," he said. "Trust me, no matter what, I appreciate help. When it comes to the word enough, we Ukrainians are not people known for excessive appetites. Our victory is enough for us. Honestly, when we have enough for our victory, then it will be enough."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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