Zelenskyy warns Trump peace plan could allow Russia to keep Donbas

During an interview with the Guardian, the leader of the war-torn nation said he had "no strategy yet" for how to deal with a second Trump term. The 45th president has repeatedly stated that he could end the conflict in "24 hours" and has been critical of the amount of money the United States has spent prolonging it.

"Does he want to be a loser president?" Zelensky said after describing a scenario in which the US cuts off aid and allows Russia to take the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine in exchange for a ceasefire. "Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army."

He said any resolution that included a ceasefire was a "trap," suggesting that Putin would simply continue fighting after a brief pause and make Trump look "very weak" on the world stage.

"This is not about [Trump] as a person," he added, "but about the institutions of the United States. They will become very weak. The US 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, but in terms of international influence, it will be equal to zero."

Zelensky noted that he had invited Trump to Ukraine to see what the Russians had done to his country, saying it would help him "understand the situation better."

Trump has been very clear that he wants to see an end to the conflict. Last November, he vowed that, if elected, his administration would have it sorted out before he is sworn in.