WASHINGTON: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday to visit his country to better understand the devastation wrought by Russia’s invasion.
“Please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead,“ he said according to a transcript of a CBS “60 Minutes” interview to be broadcast Sunday.
With a visit to Ukraine, Trump “will understand what (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin did.”
The invitation comes as Trump pushes for a quick end to the more than three-year war, with the United States holding direct talks with Russia despite its unrelenting attacks on Ukraine.
Washington has also held talks with Ukrainian officials on a potential truce.
Zelensky’s invitation follows the heated row at the White House in late February between the Ukrainian president, Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, which played out in front of press.
Vance at the time accused Ukraine of hosting foreign leaders on “propaganda tours” to win support.
Zelensky repeated his denial of that allegation, and told CBS that if Trump chose to visit Ukraine, “we will not prepare anything. It will not be theater.”
