Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has offered US president Donald Trump the chance to live in his house for a week to experience the reality of the war in Ukraine.
After Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump vowed to end the conflict “within 24 hours” of his presidency if he was elected for a second time.
However, the 78-year-old has been unable to do so and has blamed Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky for “starting the war”.
Usyk, who dedicated his victory against Anthony Joshua in 2022 to the people of Ukraine, says Trump can live in his house for a week to better understand the situation in his country.
“I advise American President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in my house for one week,” Usyk told BBC Sport.
“Only one week. I will give him my house. Live please in Ukraine and watch what is going on every night.
“Every night there are bombs and flights above my house. Bombs, rocket. Every night. It’s enough.”
Zelensky was asked to leave the White House in February after a public exchange with Trump in the Oval Office, in which the American told the Ukrainian to show more gratitude for the United States’ help in peace talks.
Asked whether Trump would change his opinion on the war in his homeland, Usyk said: “I don’t know. Maybe he’ll understand, maybe he won’t.
“Ukrainian people are dying. It’s not just military guys, but children, women, grandmothers, grandfathers.
“For me it’s hard. It’s my country. I worry about what happens in my country.”
Usyk has been campaigning for peace in Ukraine since his his rematch with Joshua three years ago.
The war broke out in the months before that fight and Usyk is still a key part of Ukraine’s peace efforts publicly, alongside retired boxers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.
Usyk, the WBA (super), WBO and WBC champion, will take on Britain’s Daniel Dubois on 19 July at Wembley Stadium.
It is a rematch of the pair’s bout in August 2023, which Usyk won with a ninth-round stoppage.
He can become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion with victory or Dubois could become the first Englishman to win all four major world titles at heavyweight.
