World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has issued a powerful and personal plea to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to take meaningful action to help end the war in Ukraine.
In an emotional interview with CNN Sports, Usyk addressed Trump directly, challenging the former president on his repeated claims that he could bring the conflict to a swift end.
“Donald Trump, please open your eyes — help my people,” said Usyk, who currently holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO titles. “He says he’d stop this war in a day or a month. But he’s not responsible for his words. Why does he speak?”
Usyk, 37, went further — inviting Trump to spend a week in Kyiv and see the war for himself.
“Let him come to Ukraine. I will give him my home, my security. Let him live here for a week and see how rockets fly over it,” he said.
He suggested Trump visit the war-scarred neighborhoods of Obolon or Troyeshchyna in Kyiv, where civilians live under daily threat of missile strikes.
“Let him come secretly, with no media. Then he will understand what is really happening.”
Born in Simferopol, Crimea, Usyk was in London when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. He immediately returned to Ukraine, joining the Territorial Defense Forces to help defend the capital. His home in Vorzel, just outside Kyiv, was later occupied and looted by Russian troops during their violent advance through Hostomel, Irpin, and Bucha.
Despite the war, Usyk has continued his boxing career — often traveling to the frontlines between fights. He credits Ukrainian soldiers with motivating him to keep going.
“They told me, ‘Go fight for the country. Show the world who we are.’ That gives me strength.”
As he prepares for his next bout — a highly anticipated July 19 showdown against Britain’s Daniel Dubois — Usyk says the war is never far from his mind.
“It’s hard to focus when your family is still in Kyiv,” he said of his wife and daughters. “But I trust my people and my soldiers. I know they’ll protect them. And I’ll do my part — in the ring and beyond.”
Usyk’s message to Trump is clear: Words alone are not enough. Come and see the truth. Then act.
