Any peace deal that would force Ukraine to give up territory to Russia is “bulls–t,” heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk told Piers Morgan in a recent interview.
Usyk, a Ukrainian native whose home in Bucha – on the outskirts of Kyiv, was destroyed by Russian forces shortly after the February 2022 invasion, had strong words for President Trump amid US-led efforts to end the three-year-long war.
“Hey, President Trump – open eyes, please,” the boxer said during an appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” which will air on the show’s YouTube channel later this week.
Usyk argued that Russia should not be allowed to keep any Ukrainian territory as part of a peace deal, which is widely believed to be on the table during negotiations.
“It’s bulls–t. It’s bulls–t,” the prize fighter told Morgan, when asked about the possibility of Ukraine ceding land to Russia
“[What] Russia is do[ing], the whole world knows is bulls–t,” Usyk continued. “Why you take my country?”
On what he would like Trump to do next, the boxer said directly: “Please stop [the] war in Ukraine.”
“But don’t give Russia the territory?” Morgan asked.
“No of course not, this is my territory, the territory of my country, it’s my people, of course,” Usyk responded.
However, the Kremlin has been adamant that it has no interest in giving up land it has conquered from Ukraine.
American negotiators, meanwhile, insist that both sides must be ready to make concessions.
Trump is growing “increasingly frustrated” with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he tries to negotiate a settlement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.
“The president has made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first, to stop the killing, stop the bloodshed,” Leavitt told reporters, reacting to Putin’s call for a three-day cease-fire next month to mark the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Zelensky has met with Usyk, and he even brought the boxer’s championship belt to the White House with him earlier this year.
The belt was spotted off to the side during Zelesnky’s heated Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in February.
Usyk defeated British boxer Tyson Fury twice last year to become boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion.
Trump is a noted boxing aficionado but in recent years has been spotted ringside at more UFC events than boxing matches.
