KYIV, Ukraine — Undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has extended a stark invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump: come to Ukraine and live in his house for a week to witness the daily horrors of war.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian made the appeal during an interview with BBC Sport on Sunday, June 8, 2025, saying it was the only way Trump could grasp the reality of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine — a conflict the U.S. president had previously claimed he could end within 24 hours of taking office.
“I advise American President Donald Trump to come to Ukraine and live in my house for one week,” Usyk said.
“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.”
Usyk’s comments come amid continued fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine, more than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Despite Trump’s campaign pledge to bring a swift end to the war, there has been no breakthrough in peace negotiations since his return to the White House in 2024.
In February, tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy escalated during a White House summit, where Trump reportedly criticised Zelenskyy for insufficient gratitude toward U.S. involvement in peace efforts before abruptly ending the meeting.
Asked whether he believed Trump could change his view of the war, Usyk replied: “I don’t know. Maybe he’ll understand, maybe he won’t.”
Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight titles, is currently in training for a rematch against IBF champion Daniel Dubois, scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Wembley Stadium in London.
But the boxer made clear that his mind remains fixed on the suffering in his homeland.
“I worry about what happens in my country. It’s very bad because Ukrainian people have died,” he said.
“It’s not just military people, children, women, grandmothers and grandfathers, too.”
Usyk has been a vocal advocate for peace and a prominent figure in rallying international attention to the human toll of the conflict.
