Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that former President Trump could be a “loser president” if he imposes a poor peace deal on Ukraine if his is elected, saying the wrong deal could end the American position as a global power.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he would quickly negotiate the end of the Russia-Ukraine war if he is elected, once promising results within “24 hours.” It is expected that he would cut off aid to the country or severely pare it down if he takes office.
Zelensky told The Guardian on Sunday that he has “no strategy yet” for how to deal with Trump, adding that former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has attempted to reach out to Trump on the Ukrainian government’s behalf.
The Ukrainian leader predicted that if Trump withheld support from Ukraine, the country would no longer be able to stand up to the Russian military.
“Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army,” he said.
“Does he want to become a loser president?” Zelensky warned. “Do you understand what can happen?”
Trump aides have floated a plan that would see Ukraine cede its eastern territories and Crimea to Russia in exchange for the end of fighting. Zelensky and Ukrainian leaders have called any such deal unacceptable, committing to recovering all the country’s land.
Zelensky, who is in the Philippines on Monday to bolster support for the Ukrainian cause in Asia, added Sunday that any negotiated deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin would likely be a “trap.” He predicted Putin would go back on any deal Trump brokered, making him look “very weak.”
“This is not about him [Trump], as a person but about the institutions of the United States. They will become very weak,” he continued. “The U.S. will not be the leader of the world anymore.”
“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 U.S. as a dominant world power, Putin and other authoritarian leaders would be emboldened to action, Zelensky predicted.
“The beginning of what everyone is so afraid to talk about. This is reality,” he said. “And this is the real third world war.”