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.
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