Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday cast doubt on Donald Trump’s claim about being able to end Russia’s war on Ukraine in just one day, should the former president win the 2024 election.
“The sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful but this desire should be based on some real-life experience,” Zelenskyy told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, via a translator, in an interview that aired Sunday.
“Well, it looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time,” Ukraine’s leader continued. “We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal, but he must have had some other priorities.”
“If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukraine, in other words, to make us give up our territories, well, I think, in this way, [President Joe] Biden could have brought it to an end even in five minutes, but we would not agree,” he added.
Watch the interview here:
Trump has repeatedly boasted about his ability to “fix” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022 and has now ground on for more than 500 days.
“I would fix that within 24 hours, and if I win, before I get into the office, I will have that war settled. 100% sure,” the former president told Fox News personality Sean Hannity in March.
Trump has never elaborated on how he would do it, though.
The former president, prior to his 2016 election win, frequently talked up his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since the war began, Trump has often suggested Putin wouldn’t have attacked Ukraine had he still been in power.