Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asserted that if Donald Trump attempts to pressure Kyiv into accepting a peace agreement with Russia, he would be deemed a “loser” president and would risk igniting a Third World War.
While asserting that he has “no strategy yet” if former President Trump returns to the White House, Zelensky appeared to set out his opening negotiating position in case the presumptive Republican nominee and current frontrunner defeats 81-year-old Democrat President Joe Biden in November.
In an interview with Britain’s left-wing Guardian newspaper, Zelensky questioned Trump’s desire to end the war, asking, “Does he want to become a loser president? Do you understand what can happen?”
“This is not about him [Trump], as a person but about the institutions of the United States. They will become very weak. The US will not be the leader of the world any more. 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 said.
Zelensky argued that if Washington is seen to appease Moscow, it would open up space for other authoritarian countries to