Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Donald Trump to visit Ukraine, saying it would give him a clearer picture of the destruction caused by Russia’s invasion, reports RTE.
“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,” he said in a CBS 60 Minutes interview.
With a trip to Ukraine, the US President “will understand what (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin did,” Mr Zelensky said, reports RTE.
“You will understand with whom you have a deal,” he added, reports RTE.
Mr Zelensky’s invitation follows a tense exchange at the White House in late February involving him, Mr Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance, which unfolded publicly.
At the time, Mr Vance claimed Ukraine was bringing in foreign leaders on “propaganda tours” to sway support.
Mr Zelensky rejected that accusation again and told CBS that if Mr Trump did visit, “we will not prepare anything. It will not be a theatre,” reports RTE.
“You can go exactly where you want, in any city which (has) been under attacks,” he added, r r
Mr Trump has been advocating for a swift resolution to the war, pushing for direct talks between the US and Russia, despite Moscow’s continued aggression.
The US has also been in discussions with Ukraine about a potential ceasefire, while European countries weigh a military presence to uphold any agreement, reports RTE.
Ukraine previously accepted a US-backed unconditional ceasefire proposal, but it was rejected by Russia.
“Putin can’t be trusted. I told that to President Trump many times. So when you ask why the ceasefire is not working – this is why,” Mr Zelensky said.
“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,” he added, reports RTE.
Mr Zelensky gave the interview on Friday from his hometown, Kryvyi Rih, where a Russian missile strike earlier in the month killed 18 people, including nine children.
As talks over ending the conflict continue, Mr Zelensky said a fair peace would mean preserving “our sovereignty or our independence,” and vowed to reclaim occupied territory, reports RTE.
“We, no matter what, will take back what is ours because we never lost it – the Russians took it from us,” he added, reports RTE.
This comes after two Russian ballistic missiles hit the center of Sumy, a northern Ukrainian city, yesterday, killing 34 and injuring 117, making it the deadliest strike on Ukraine so far this year.
Mr Zelensky called for a strong international reaction to the attack, which happened as Mr Trump’s efforts to end the war have yet to show results, reports RTE.
Leaders from the UK, Germany, and Italy denounced the missile strike.
“These attacks show just what Russia’s supposed readiness for peace is worth,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media, reports RTE.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement offering sympathies and calling the attack a “tragic reminder of why President Trump and his Administration are putting so much time and effort into trying to end this war.”
Under Mr Trump’s leadership, US officials have been conducting separate talks with both Russian and Ukrainian representatives in hopes of moving closer to a ceasefire, reports RTE.
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