Oleksandr Usyk delivers verdict on Donald Trump and JD Vance's peace efforts in Ukraine

Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed boxing heavyweight champion of the world, has urged Donald Trump to consider Russia's crimes against the Ukrainian people in any peace negotiations.

Asked by the Express for his message to the US President and JD Vance about the war, the fighter thanked America's leadership for their efforts.

But the legendary boxer, who is due to fight Londoner Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium next month, also emphasised the scale of the suffering inflicted by Vladimir Putin's invading forces.

"I would express my gratitude for the efforts toward achieving peace," he said.

"I want to believe that President Trump is sincere in his intentions. May God grant him health.

"But I would also like to emphasize one important point that is often overlooked in discussions about the war.

"Ukrainians are not fighting for territories. Ukrainians are fighting for the people who live on those lands. These are our people - our family, our loved ones, our friends. How could we possibly hand them over to a country that has been killing them for years?

"We know very well what Russia is doing to our people living in the territories it occupies - and we don't learn this from Instagram stories.

"It's not just the atrocities in Bucha; it's prisons and torture, it's the kidnapping of tens of thousands of children to Russia - to turn them into 'Russians.'"

"For us, it's not about the land, but the people. That's why Ukrainians came together so strongly at the start of the full-scale war and stopped the aggressor."

Despite Donald Trump claiming that he'd received assurances from Vladimir Putin that could help end the war after a , Russia has continued its brutal bombing campaign on civilian areas in Kyiv.

Such attacks are not new, during a recent trip to Ukraine, and happen with such regularity that they have become almost normalised in the three years since the conflict.

"I think what's happening is absolute madness - these attacks on residential buildings, on hospitals. Mothers, children," said Usyk of the strikes on civilian areas.

"This madness isn't just Putin's. Someone is launching those missiles, pressing the buttons, aiming at the targets - knowing full well they're civilian objects.

"Ordinary people, ordinary Russians, are committing this unjustifiable evil. I pray to God to return their sanity, to help them come to their senses."

Usyk was born in Simferopol, Crimea, an area which has been under Russian control since Putin's annexation of the region back in 2014.

Before the full-scale invasion, the world champion had always steered clear of political discussions. But has been very outspoken about Russian aggression since the war began, although in Usyk's eyes this doesn't represent a change in approach.

"I still avoid such discussions when it comes to my personal views on specific political figures or events," he said.

"I'm an athlete, and sport brings together people with different political beliefs.

"But Russia's invasion of Ukraine - that's not politics. This isn't just some political disagreement.

"It's an unprovoked, horrific crime. It's genocide - one nation trying to wipe out another. How can I stay silent about that?"

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Usyk returned to the country and joined the territorial defence forces. His decision to enlist came ahead of an expected rematch with British boxer Anthony Joshua, whom he'd stripped of his belts a few months earlier at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In late March, he was given permission to leave the forces in preparation for a bout with Joshua. Usyk did not want to go, but said he was convinced by injured soldiers to return to boxing.

These days, whenever the urge to take up arms and fight for his country returns, the heavyweight champion thinks back to the words spoken three years ago.

"I recall the wounded soldiers I met in the hospital back in 2022, who told me: 'Go, train, and win for the glory of Ukraine.' That's exactly what I'm doing," he said.

As he prepares for another huge fight, Usyk continues to try and support the men on the front lines, who, he said, follow his every move.

He added: "I'm constantly in touch with Ukrainian soldiers - with my friends who are now defending our country. And they give me a lot of support

"When I became the undisputed heavyweight champion in May 2024, after my first victory over Fury, the news spread instantly across the entire front line via military radio. I'm truly glad that we can lift each other's spirits - they support me, and I support them.

"My foundation brings wounded soldiers to every one of my fights, and they'll be in London this time as well. I always make time to meet with them, no matter how intense the schedule gets during fight week."