Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has issued a stark warning to former U.S. President Donald Trump, stating that Trump would become a “loser president” and diminish America’s global leadership if he decided to end aid to Ukraine. In a recent interview, Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine would not accept any deals made between a potential Trump administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin that would sacrifice parts of Donbas for peace.
Zelensky highlighted the dire consequences of halting U.S. support for Ukraine, both for Trump personally and for America’s standing in the world. “Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army,” told Zelensky. He warned that such a move would weaken U.S. institutions and diminish the country’s global influence.
Speaking just before a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records, Zelensky cautioned that any deal proposed by Putin would likely further the Kremlin’s agenda. He asserted that cutting off support would degrade America’s reputation as a powerful world leader and embolden other countries with aggressive intentions.
“This is not about him [Trump] as a person but about the institutions of the United States,” Zelensky said. “They will become very weak. The U.S. will not be the leader of the world anymore… in terms of international influence, it will be equal to zero.”
Zelensky also invited Trump to visit Kyiv to witness the effects of the conflict firsthand, hoping it might change his stance. Trump has previously claimed he could end the fighting in Ukraine “in 24 hours” but has not specified his plans.
Zelensky did not limit his criticism to Trump alone. He also rebuked U.S. President Joe Biden, arguing that the current restrictions on using American weapons to strike Russian targets do not go far enough. Zelensky thanked Biden for allowing limited strikes in Kharkiv but stressed the need for broader permissions to counteract Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Back in Ukraine, authorities imposed emergency power shutdowns across most of the country following large-scale Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. The rolling blackouts, affecting industrial consumers that significantly damaged Ukraine’s power grid, were a response to recent barrages of Belgorod and Kursk by SBU. Russian regional governors reported injuries and deaths from Ukrainian shelling and drone attacks in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, reflecting the ongoing and widespread nature of the conflict
In recent weeks, Russia’s new offensive has focused on the northeastern Kharkiv region and tested Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk, while also launching incursions in the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Russia has also claimed gains in the eastern Donetsk province.
