“THE Donald Trump risks becoming a ‘failed president’ if he wins the November election and imposes a bad peace deal on Ukraine,” he said in an interview with Guardian the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

As Zelensky claims, doing so would mean the US would step down from the “pedestal” of the world player, giving way to “authoritarian leaders”.

In the interview with the British media, the Ukrainian president said, from his office in Kiev, that he has “no strategy yet” on what he will do if Trump returns to the White House.

It is noted that Trump has previously claimed that he could end the war in “24 hours” if elected. At the same time, some believe that if he sits in the Oval Office, the Republican former president is expected to cut off US military support to Ukraine.

Trump aides have outlined a possible plan that would include ceding eastern Ukraine to Russia, as well as Crimea. However, the Ukrainian president made it clear that “Ukrainians will not tolerate this,” just as they would not accept a Russian “ultimatum” that would force Ukraine to abandon the European path and future NATO membership, he said.

Zelensky admitted that if elected, Trump could, if he really wanted to, inflict a crushing military defeat on Ukraine. He could cut off “support, arms and money” and even “cut deals” with Kiev’s partners to stop deliveries of weapons vital to Ukraine.

“Ukraine, with bare hands, without weapons, will not be able to fight one [ρωσικό] an army of several million”, stressed the Ukrainian leader.

However, he clarified that he considers this scenario unlikely. But if that were to happen, there would be serious consequences for America’s standing in the world — and for Trump personally.

US ‘will no longer be the leader of the world’

He even predicted that Vladimir Putin would scuttle any deal that might be brokered by Trump.

“The cease-fire is a trap,” he said, as after the cease-fire, Putin would “go further,” humiliating Trump and making him look “very weak” in the eyes of the world, he said.

“This is not about Trump as a person, but about the institutions of the United States. They will be greatly weakened. The US will no longer be the leader of the world. Yes, it will be strong, first of all, in the domestic economy, because it undoubtedly has a strong economy. But in terms of international influence it will be zero.”

Realizing that Washington is no longer a “player”, other, mainly authoritarian, countries and leaders will “enter the arena” and imitate Putin’s aggressive “approach”, Zelensky estimated. And this would eventually lead to the ‘beginning of what everyone is so afraid to talk about. This is the reality. And this is the real third world war.”

Asked if Boris Johnson had spoken to Trump on behalf of Ukraine, Zelensky said:

“I think he tried and I think he talked to him. I think so, as far as I know.”

He added: “I regret using Boris as a tool.”