President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the 2024 Munich Security Conference on February 17, 2024 in Munich, Germany.
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MUNICH, Germany — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is willing to bring U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, long skeptical of Washington’s support for Kiev, to the front lines of war-torn Ukraine.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky on Saturday said he had already welcomed the Republican frontrunner to see firsthand the impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but that the decision to come was up to Trump .
“I invited him [Trump] publicly, but it depends on his wishes,” he said in response to a question from the audience, asking whether Zelensky would ask Trump to come to Kiev.
“If Mr. Trump comes, I am ready to go with him to the front lines,” he added.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
Trump has been highly critical of continued U.S. financial and military aid to Ukraine, deeming it an un-American issue and suggesting he would allow Russia to “take over” parts of Ukraine if he is re-elected in November.
He has also spoken highly of Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing admiration for the Kremlin chief’s strongman approach and also saying last weekend that he would “encourage” Putin to do what he wants to NATO members who fail to meet their funding commitments.
On Wednesday, however, Trump appeared to flip the script, declaring at a campaign rally that he would do more to support Ukraine than incumbent President Joe Biden, an avid supporter of funding for Kiev.
The comments came just hours after Putin said Wednesday he would prefer Biden’s re-election in November, calling him a “more predictable” leader.
Increased support for Ukraine
Continued support for Kiev is the subject of heated debate in the United States, where the Democratic-led Senate on Tuesday approved a new $95 billion aid package, including $61 billion for Ukraine. To become law it must be approved by the Republican-led House of Representatives.
However, Zelensky insisted Saturday that continued and growing support for Ukraine is crucial, not only for his country’s freedom, but also for that of the rest of Europe and the free world.
“There is no one for whom the ongoing war in Europe does not pose a threat,” he said. “This is Russia’s war against all rules.”
On Friday, Zelensky traveled to Germany, where he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron and signed new bilateral security pacts with their countries.
At the conference the wartime president will also have talks with US Vice President Kamala Harris, Czech President Petr Pavel, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, among others.
This comes after the European Union approved a €50 billion ($54 billion) additional funding bill for Ukraine earlier this month, overcoming long-standing opposition from the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban.
Navalny’s death “murder”
Zelensky also used his speech to address news of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian penal colony, calling it a murder.
“Putin kills whoever he wants, be it an opposition leader or anyone who seems to him to be a target,” he said, adding that Putin “maintains power through corruption and violence” and that Navalny’s death was a clear message to those present . at the conference.
The reports from the Russian Prison Service have not yet been independently verified, but world leaders reacted with shock and dismay to the news on Friday.
US President Joe Biden said in a speech at the White House that “Putin is responsible”, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply disturbed and saddened”.
Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, was greeted with a standing ovation as she addressed the Munich Security Conference shortly after the announcement, saying that Putin and his friends “will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family and my husband.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Western reaction to Navalny’s alleged death is “self-exposing” at a time when no forensic medical examination is yet available.
The Kremlin has previously denied involvement in the media-reported poisoning of Navalny and pledged to investigate his death.