Former U.S. President Donald Trump declined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's invitation to visit Ukraine, citing a "conflict of interests," the U.S. news channel Newsmax reported on Nov. 5.
"I have great respect for President Zelensky, but think it would be inappropriate to go to Ukraine at this time," the Republican favorite for the 2024 presidential elections said in a statement to Newsmax.
"The Biden administration is currently dealing with him, and I would not want to create a conflict of interest."
Zelensky extended an invitation to Trump in an interview with NBC News on Nov. 5, hoping to demonstrate to the former U.S. leader that the war with Russia cannot be solved within 24 hours, as Trump once professed.
"If he can come here, I will need 24 minutes — yes, 24 minutes. Not more. Yes. Not more — 24 minutes to explain (to) President Trump that he can't manage this war," the Ukrainian leader said.
"President Biden was here, and I think he understood some details which you can understand only being here," he added.
Questions have arisen over what a Republican victory would mean for future U.S. support of Ukraine.
While U.S. President Joe Biden has been an avid supporter of Ukraine, providing $75 billion in financial and military aid since the start of the full-scale invasion, candidates for the Republican presidential nomination have largely opposed the continuation of this scale of funding for Ukraine.
Zelensky said he "doesn't know" if Trump would back Ukraine if he wins the presidential vote.
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