World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has extended a bold invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to spend a week in his home in Ukraine to witness firsthand the realities of war.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian boxer made the offer in response to Trump’s repeated claims that he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict “within 24 hours”. Despite returning to the White House in 2024, Trump has yet to bring the war to an end.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Usyk said:
“I advise American President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in my house for one week… Watch what is going on every night. Bombs, rockets — every night. It’s enough.”
Usyk, undefeated in 23 professional fights and a vocal advocate for peace, believes Trump needs to experience the war’s devastating impact to fully understand the crisis and offer meaningful solutions.
Tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky flared earlier this year during a heated White House meeting in which Trump reportedly demanded more gratitude from Ukraine before abruptly ending the session.
Asked if he thought Trump could be swayed by a visit to Ukraine, Usyk replied:
“I don’t know. Maybe he’ll understand, maybe he won’t.”
While currently in training for a rematch against Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley, Usyk said the war remains constantly on his mind:
“It’s very bad. Ukrainian people are dying — not just soldiers, but children, women, grandmothers and grandfathers too.”
