Trump Rejects Zelenskyy’s Invitation to Visit Kyiv

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited former President Donald Trump to Ukraine on Sunday to see the scale of the war for himself, but Trump respectfully declined in a statement to Newsmax. 

“I have great respect for President Zelenskyy, but think it would be inappropriate to go to Ukraine at this time,” Trump wrote in a statement responding to Zelenskyy’s invite made on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The Biden administration is currently dealing with him, and I would not want to create a conflict of interest.”

Zelenskyy is calling on the U.S. to provide more funding to help his forces counter Russia, warning that American soldiers could eventually be pulled into a greater European conflict with Russia if Washington did not step up support.

“If Russia will kill all of us, they will attack NATO countries and you will send your sons and daughters [to fight],” Zelenskyy said told NBC.

President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has pressed Congress to pass a $106 billion supplemental spending bill, with the bulk of the money going to bolster Ukraine’s defenses and the remainder split among Israel, the Indo-Pacific, and border enforcement.

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has instead put forward its own funding plan. It passed a bill last week to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, but did not include any increase in aid for Ukraine.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, majority leader of the Democratic-controlled Senate, said he would not bring the House bill to a vote and Biden has vowed to veto it.

In the interview airing on Sunday, Zelenskyy invited Trump, a Republican, to visit Ukraine and see the fallout of the conflict initiated by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024 and is the leading candidate for his party’s presidential nomination, has been sharply critical of U.S. support for Kyiv and has said he could end the war in 24 hours if reelected.

“If he can come here, I will need … 24 minutes to explain to President Trump that he can’t manage this war,” Zelenskyy said. “He can’t bring peace because of Putin.”

Information from Reuters was used to compile this report.