UNITED NATIONS. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he could resolve the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine in just one day if re-elected. However, Russia’s United Nations Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, strongly disagrees with this assertion.
Addressing reporters on Monday, Nebenzia stated, “The Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day,” in response to Trump’s bold claim. During a CNN town hall in May 2023, Trump declared, “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” He suggested that this would be achieved through meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a statement he has since reiterated on the campaign trail.
Trump further criticized current President Joe Biden in a recent debate, asserting, “If we had a real president, a president that knew — that was respected by Putin … he would have never invaded Ukraine.”
Nebenzia recounted that the conflict could have ended in April 2022 during negotiations in Istanbul when Russia and Ukraine were reportedly close to an agreement. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, labeling it a “special military operation” that began in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea following clashes in Ukraine’s east.
The Russian ambassador accused Ukraine’s Western allies of blocking the April 2022 peace deal and encouraging Kyiv to continue fighting. He dismissed Zelenskyy’s current peace plan as “a joke” and highlighted a recent meeting in Switzerland where nearly 80 countries called for Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” to be the foundation of any peace agreement. However, notable developing nations did not participate, and Russia abstained from the conference.
Nebenzia referred to Putin’s offer on June 14 to “immediately” order a cease-fire and start negotiations if Ukraine withdraws troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounces plans to join NATO. Zelenskyy, who has pledged not to cede any territory, rejected Putin’s proposal as an ultimatum to surrender more land.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces managed to prevent a takeover of the capital. The conflict has primarily centered in Ukraine’s south and east, where Russia seized four regions, though it does not fully control any of them. Ukraine has faced challenges in stabilizing its front lines, particularly after delays in receiving critical military aid from the United States, which was only approved in April. This delay allowed Russia to launch offensives and make territorial gains.
Nebenzia labeled Zelenskyy’s peace proposal as “a nonstarter” and urged him to be “realistic” about the situation on the ground. He warned that the more challenging the situation becomes for Ukraine, the more difficult it will be to achieve a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Nebenzia’s remarks. As the war continues to devastate the region, the prospect of a swift resolution remains uncertain, despite claims from political figures on both sides.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
