Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern about the prospect of Trump returning to the White House, saying he found it “very dangerous” for Trump to say he could halt the war in Ukraine within 24 hours.
In an interview broadcast Friday by Britain’s Channel 4 News, Zelensky invited Trump to visit Kiev if Trump fulfills his promise to satisfy Ukraine.
Zelensky said, “Trump, I invite you to visit Kiev, Ukraine. If you can stop the war within 24 hours, I think that will be enough.”
Zelensky expressed concerns about Trump’s possible presidency because Trump’s idea of peace talks in Ukraine could involve getting Ukraine to make significant concessions to Russia.
“Trump is going to make his own decision. I’m not even talking about Russia; there are no sides; there’s no us,” Zelensky said. “If he said that publicly, it would be a little scary. I’ve seen a lot of victims, but it does make me a little nervous.”
Trump has repeatedly said he would be able to negotiate an end to the nearly two-year-old war because he has good relations with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.
Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout his political career, including after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Trump told a campaign rally in Georgia days after Russian tanks entered Ukraine that Putin was a “smart” political player and that he admired Russia for quickly seizing “large tracts of land” at a relatively small cost of sanctions.
Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant: Landmines
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned Saturday that landmines have been re-laid around the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, while international inspectors reported months ago that the area has been cleared of mines.
Grossi warned in a statement on the agency’s website that the mines placed in the buffer zone between the plant’s inner and outer perimeter walls violated the IAEA’s safety standards.
Petro Kotin, head of Ukraine’s state nuclear power company (Energoatom), said this was “another crime” after Russian troops occupied the Zaporozhye power station.
Curtin said in a social media telegram on Saturday that the situation at the power station “will continue to be fragile and dangerous as long as the Russians remain there.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency once again expressed concern that the war could cause radiation leaks from the power station.
The plant’s six reactors have been shut down for months, but power and qualified staff are still needed to operate critical cooling systems and other safety functions.
Russia has controlled the power plant since 2022 and has refused to allow experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency to enter certain areas.
“Such access is needed to monitor nuclear security,” the IAEA statement said.
Russia crackdown
Russian lawmakers are preparing a bill that would allow for the confiscation of the property of people who spread “deliberate disinformation” about Russia’s armed forces.
Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said on Saturday that the bill would also apply to those who committed other crimes of treachery, including “slandering” the armed forces, calling for sanctions against Russia, or inciting extremist activities.
Volodin wrote on social media Telegram, “Anyone who tries to destroy and betray Russia must face the punishment he deserves and use their own property to compensate for the losses caused to the country.”
At the same time, a Russian military family member said Saturday at President Putin’s campaign headquarters that she excitedly demanded her husband’s return from the front lines, while Russia banned public criticism of the war in Ukraine.
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