Zelenskyy ready to take Donald Trump to Ukraine's front line
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Published Sat, Feb 17 20244:52 AM
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that he was willing to engage with Donald Trump, saying that he was ready take the U.S. presidential hopeful to the front lines.
- Speaking at Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said that he had already welcomed the Republican frontrunner to see first hand the impact of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
- "If Mr Trump will come, I'm ready to go with him to the frontlines," he told the Munich Security Conference.
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaks during the 2024 Munich Security Conference on February 17, 2024 in Munich, Germany.Johannes Simon | Getty Images News | Getty Images
MUNICH, Germany — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was willing to take U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump, a long-time skeptic of Washington's support for Kyiv, to the war-battered front lines of Ukraine.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy on Saturday said that he had already welcomed the Republican frontrunner to see first hand the impact of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but that the decision to come rests with Trump.
"I invited him [Trump] publicly, but it depends on his wishes," he said in response to an audience question, asking whether Zelenskyy would ask Trump to come to Kyiv.
"If Mr. Trump will come, I'm ready to go with him to the front lines," he added.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Trump has been highly critical of the U.S.'s continued financial and military aid for Ukraine, deeming it a non-American issue and suggesting that he would allow Russia to "take over" parts of Ukraine if he were re-elected in November.
He has also spoken highly of Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing admiration for the Kremlin chief's strongman approach and saying even last weekend that he would "encourage" Putin to do what he wants to NATO members who fail to meet their funding commitments.
However, Trump appeared to flip the script Wednesday, telling a campaign rally that he would do more to support Ukraine than incumbent President Joe Biden — a fierce advocate of funding for Kyiv.
The comments came just hours after Putin said Wednesday that he would prefer the re-election of Biden in November, dubbing him a "more predictable" leader.
Ramped up support for Ukraine
Continued support for Kyiv is a topic of fierce debate in the U.S., where a new a $95 billion aid package — including $61 billion for Ukraine — was passed by the Democrat-led Senate on Tuesday. It must be approved by the Republican-led House of Representatives to come into law.
Still, Zelenskyy insisted on Saturday that continued and increased support for Ukraine was critical, not only for the freedom of his country, but also for that of the rest of Europe and the free world.
"There is no one for whom the ongoing war in Europe does not pose a threat," he said. "This is Russia's war against any rules at all."
On Friday, Zelenskyy travelled to Germany, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholzand French President Emmanuel Macron and signed new bilateral security pacts with their countries.
The wartime president is also due to hold talks at the conference with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Czech President Petr Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, among others.
It comes after the European Union earlier this month passed an additional funding bill of 50 billion euros ($54 billion) for Ukraine, overcoming longstanding opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Navalny death 'murder'
Zelenskyy also used his speech to address the reported death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian penal colony, dubbing it murder.
"Putin kills whoever he wants, be it an opposition leader or anyone who seems a target to him," he said, adding that Putin "maintains power through corruption and violence," and that the death of Navalny was a clear message to those gathered at the conference.
The reports from Russia's prison service have not yet been independently verified, but world leaders reacted with shock and dismay to the news Friday.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in a White House address that "Putin is responsible," while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "deeply disturbed and saddened."
Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, was met with a standing ovation, as she addressed the Munich Security Conference shortly after the announcement, saying that Putin and his cronies "will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family, and with my husband."
Russia's Foreign Ministry said that the Western reaction to Navalny's reported death is "self-exposing" at a time when no forensic medical examination is yet available.
The Kremlin has previously denied involvement in the mediatized poisoning of Navalny and has committed to investigate his death.
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Bully/thug/cowards like the former 'president' are all 'talk' and hate and ignorance. It would never do anything that didn't benefit itself.
LMAO, yeah I'm sure that bag of wind would go to the front. /s
Only losers put themselves in danger on behalf of others.
mar-a-lardo is as close to those front lines as commander bonespur will ever get...
The faux John Wayne is shooting his mouth off again.
Maybe Zelensky really should visit his own front lines to witness the Russian meat grinder first hand; and understand what he is asking of his Generals and his troops.
Pickup a gun and go to the front lines Zelensky. Fight side by side with your troops for a few weeks. If you survive you can take a nice long vacation abroad again begging countries for more money and weapons.
Zelensky and Putin are two of a kind. Neither gives a shit about their people.
He has visited the front lines on more than one occasion.
You're correct on Putin, Zelensky not at all.
For which there is more than ample proof but hey when one's news sources tout nonsense such as Fani Willis self destructing.
Yea!!!! Just like trump did!!!
Ukraine started this war 10 years ago. And Ukraine has attempted to start a conflict between the United States and Russia since 2014. Zelensky is the Yasser Arafat of eastern Europe.
We can stop Russia from invading Europe any time we want to. The United States has the capability to pound Moscow into submission from the North Sea; troops on the ground aren't needed. Don't bamboozle the public that our intelligence and military planners were blindsided by the Russian invasion, either. Biden was playing Chicken Little six months before Russia invaded and no one listened? This is a war Ukraine wanted. This is a war Europe wanted. And apparently this is a war the political deadwood in Washington wanted. Look at all the bacon the war hawks are bringing home. And the whole invasion and war could have been prevented if Biden would have negotiated with Putin instead of threatening retaliation. Sanctions didn't work for Obama so why would they work for Biden? Doesn't Biden know that Russia has already baked US sanctions into its economy? Obama taught Russia how to work around US sanctions.
It is rather telling that Biden wants $60 billion for Ukraine and only $20 billion for our southern border. And the $20 billion for the border was only intended to legalize illegal border crossings. What sort of illegal activity is Biden trying to protect? Is Biden getting another kickback for turning a blind eye on illegal activity?
Someone needs to inform Biden that a migrant requesting asylum at a port of entry is not an illegal immigrant. If Biden (and Democrats) want to flood the country with immigrants then the proper way to do that is to secure the border to prevent illegal crossings and open more ports of entry. Bring the migrants into the country legally instead of coddling criminals. Democrats encouraging migrants to enter the country illegally is cynical and inhumane. Open more ports of entry and secure the border so that the migrants are encouraged to use a safer, more humane, and legal way to enter the country. Democrats encouraging migrants to wade the Rio Grande unnecessarily risks lives to score political points. Democrats don't seem to care as long as their political ends justifies the means.
After reading your first sentence, there was no need to continue further.
Such ignorance
At this point trump may have to dig in the seat cushions to scrape up enough money for the plane ticket.
One step at a time, first up will be bankrupting the GoP.
Zelenskyy should be taking European leaders to the front lines. The eventual threat will be to the European Union.
I don't know what happened to Europe after WWII, but it is very sad. I don't know if it is because of the consequences of two world wars or the social destruction caused by socialism, which they were always infatuated with. They want to spend their entire budgets on social programs and seem to resent spending 2% on their own defense.
Somewhere along the line the Europeans became self-haters who want to eat and have sex while the US defends them. Ukraine is their back door. It is time they allocate resources for the defense of Europe.
Is Zelenskyy planning on using him as a human shield?