Zelenskyy Troubled Israel-Hamas War Is 'Taking Away the Focus,' Invites Trump to Ukraine But Says 'He Can't Bring Peace'
How dare the Gaza conflict steal the attention away from the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is irked by the nerve of the Israel-Hamas hostilities in replacing him on center stage.
He shared his annoyance in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a news conference in Kyiv on Saturday, claiming Russian leader Vladimir Putin is the mastermind behind a plan to divert attention and funds away from Ukraine.
As reported by the BBC, Zelenskyy said the war between Israel and Hamas is “taking away the focus” from Ukraine and this is “one of the goals” of Russia.
He also denied that the 20-month war between Ukraine and Russia has entered a “stalemate” despite a statement from his top military leader, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, to that effect.
Ultimately, Zelenskyy hopes his Western allies, including the United States, won’t forget about him and will continue to fund his war until the bitter end despite the additional distraction.
Zelenskyy is all too aware that support for Ukraine has waned after more than 600 days of war.
He shared his complaint about the Israel-Hamas war Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Of course, Russia understands that now when focus from Ukraine taken off, and when this focus to the Middle East, and when they try to divide the world in this crisis, Israel-Palestine crisis, and of course, of course Russia is very happy with this war,” the Ukraine president said, as translated in an NBC News transcript.
“They just want to divide the world, to take focus from Ukraine to another war,” Zelenskyy said.
He also expressed his gratitude to his dependable ATM and crony Joe Biden, who has pushed for tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine and visited the country in February.
“I’m really thankful to President Biden,” Zelenskyy said. “By the way, he was here. And I think he’s a strong man. And it was a historical moment. He’s a hero because he was in those moments under a Russian missile attack. But he was here, and he understood more about Ukraine. Yes, he knew Ukraine even before this invasion.”
Those feelings didn’t seem to translate to former President Donald Trump.
When host Kristen Welker asked about Trump’s claims that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours, Zelenskyy seemed annoyed and in utter disbelief.
The Ukraine president accepted Trump’s challenge like an insolent teenager, implying that if Biden couldn’t do it, how could Trump?
“For me, what can I say?” Zelenskyy said in English. “So he’s very welcome as well. President Biden was here, and he — I think he understood some details which you can understand only being here. So I invite President Trump.
“If he can come here, I will need 24 minutes — yes, 24 minutes, not more. … Twenty-four minutes to explain President Trump that he can’t manage this war. He can’t bring peace because of the Putin.
“If, but always there is an ‘if,’ if he’s not trying and if he’s not ready to give our territory for this terrible man, for the Putin, if you are not ready to give it, if you are not ready to give our independence, he can’t manage it.”
Someone needs to get Trump out of the courtroom and on the phone with Putin. He also needs to keep Zelenskyy away from Americans’ collective wallet, as the Ukraine leader seems to think our money is his for the taking as if each of us owes him our paychecks.
Zelenskyy even seems to go as far as to engage in a bit of blackmail, compliments of a warning that if we don’t hand over the cash, our kids will pay the price in blood.
“Now, you don’t send your soldiers,” he said on “Meet the Press. “God bless. Don’t send your daughters and sons to other NATO country. Because if Russia will kill all of us, they will attack NATO countries, and you will send your sons and daughters. And it will be — I’m sorry, but the price will be higher.
“That is my signal. And believe in democracy, believe in Ukraine.”
The Ukraine president’s comments over the weekend seem like a last-ditch effort to keep the money flowing into his country. Like a jealous child in a family whose new baby was just brought home, the Israel-Hamas conflict is stealing Ukraine’s thunder, and Zelenskyy is desperate.
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