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“Why does he speak?” Ukrainian heavyweight champion Usyk calls on Trump to be responsible for his promise to end war in 24 hours

9 juin 2025 à 10:35

“Open your eyes!” World heavyweight boxing champion from Ukraine, Oleksandr Usyk, has called on US President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in his home to see firsthand the realities of war and Russian shelling, CNN Sports reports. 

US President Donald Trump has equated strikes on civilian and military targets, has yet to impose new sanctions, and has not approved additional aid. After the new US administration’s peace efforts, Russia has doubled its daily attacks. Meanwhile, the US has redirected weapons needed in Kyiv to detect Moscow’s drones to the Middle East despite previous agreements. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was also notably absent from the Ramstein meetings in 2025 for the first time since the group was formed.

“I offer him my home. Let him live in my house for a week and see how rockets fly over it and how people live in Ukraine,” says Usyk. 

According to the boxer, Trump must be responsible for his words, and finally fulfill his promise to end the war in Ukraine, as he had said he would stop the war within a day or a month.

In 2024, Oleksand Usyk defeated Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, holding all four major belts simultaneously.

“He should be responsible for the words he said. Why does he speak?” the boxer adds, stressing that the US president needs to “open his eyes and help.”

Usyk also advises Trump to live in the Kyiv districts of Obolon or Troieshchyna, “where houses, residential buildings are being bombed,” to “understand what is happening.”

This is not the first call by prominent figures for Trump to visit Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly invited Trump to visit the frontline and see the war with his own eyes. However, the American leader has yet to come to the country.

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  • ✇The Kyiv Independent
  • Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reports
    Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk invited U.S. President Donald Trump to live for a week in his house in Ukraine during a June 8 interview with BBC Sport. Trump has pledged to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, but after six months in office a ceasefire remains nowhere in sight. Trump has threatened to abandon the peace process altogether and even suggested Ukraine is to blame for Russia's intensifying aerial attacks.Usyk said he would welcome Trump to visit his home in
     

Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reports

8 juin 2025 à 23:40
Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reports

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk invited U.S. President Donald Trump to live for a week in his house in Ukraine during a June 8 interview with BBC Sport.

Trump has pledged to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, but after six months in office a ceasefire remains nowhere in sight. Trump has threatened to abandon the peace process altogether and even suggested Ukraine is to blame for Russia's intensifying aerial attacks.

Usyk said he would welcome Trump to visit his home in Ukraine to experience the realities of the war firsthand.

"I advise American President Donald Trump, go to Ukraine and live in my house one week. Only one week ... Watch what's going on every night," he told BBC Sport.

"Every night, bombs fly above my house. Bomb, rocket, Shahed. Every night."

Usyk's appeal to Trump comes after multiple large-scale Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Originally from Crimea, Usyk now resides in Kyiv, the target of several drone and missile strikes in late May and early June. Russia has broken its nightly drone record repeatedly in the last two weeks and U.S. officials have warned Ukraine to expect more mass strikes in the coming days.

While Trump initially criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin after a series of consecutive attacks against Ukrainian cities in late May, he did not follow through on threats to sanction Moscow.

Trump has since attempted to delay and soften a U.S. Senate bill imposing harsher sanctions against Russia and has even threatened to possibly sanction Ukraine.

Usyk has previously directed public comments to Trump while advocating for Ukraine. During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Usyk took to social media to urge Trump to use his purported influence over Putin to help free Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).

Usyk has held the title of unified heavyweight champion since 2021. Before his professional boxing career, he was a gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

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Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reportsThe Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy
Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reports

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