Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that former President Trump could be a “loser president” if he imposed a bad peace deal on Ukraine if he were elected, saying the wrong deal could end America’s position as a global power.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he would quickly negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war if elected, once promising results within “24 hours.” He is expected to cut aid to the country or severely reduce it if he takes office.
Zelensky told The Guardian on Sunday that he “still has no strategy” on how to deal with Trump, adding that former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to contact Trump on behalf of the Ukrainian government.
The Ukrainian leader predicted that if Trump refused support for Ukraine, the country would no longer be able to confront the Russian military.
“Ukraine, with bare hands, without weapons, will not be able to fight against a multimillion-dollar group [Russian] army,” he said.
“Does he want to become a losing president?” Zelensky warned. “Do you understand what could happen?”
Trump’s advisers have presented a plan that would see Ukraine cede its eastern territories and Crimea to Russia in exchange for an end to the fighting. Zelensky and Ukrainian leaders called any such deal unacceptable, pledging to reclaim all of the country’s land.
Zelensky, who is in the Philippines on Monday to bolster support for the Ukrainian cause in Asia, added on Sunday that any deal negotiated with Russian President Vladimir Putin would likely be a “trap.” He predicted that Putin would backtrack on any deal brokered by Trump, making him look “very weak.”
“This isn’t about him. [Trump], as a person, but about the institutions of the United States. They will be very weak,” he continued. “The US will no longer be the leader of the world.”
“Yes, it will be powerful, first of all, in the domestic economy because it has a powerful economy, without a doubt,” he added. “But in terms of international influence, it will be equal to zero.”
Without the US as the dominant world power, Putin and other authoritarian leaders would be emboldened to act, Zelensky predicted.
“The beginning of what everyone is so afraid to talk about. This is the reality,” he said. “And this is the real third world war.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
