The Mystery of Ukraine President Zelensky’s Boxing Gift That Didn't Land With Trump

Ukranian President Zelensky's ill-fated trip to the White House broke down when he launched into a shouting match with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance last week.

Nearby sat an unlikely ambassador. A WBC belt was clearly visible on a coffee table in the oval office during most of the tense encounter - Oleksandr Usky's belt, to be exact.

Zelensky brought Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk's championship belt to his meeting at the White House... pic.twitter.com/klH9x4MyFV
— Jimmy Rushton (@JimmySecUK) February 28, 2025

Zelensky brought the belt as a gift and peace-offering to Donald Trump. The belt included the words "Undisputed Oleksander Usyk."

Zelensky’s message in awarding the gift was subtle. First, Trump is a boxing fan and former promoter. He even attended boxing events on the campaign trail.

In 2016, he attended the GGG-Lemieux fight at Madison Square Garden and during the recent campaign received endorsements from Thomas “Hitman” Hearns and the "Victorville Bomber" Ryan Garcia. Zelensky also hoped to install the idea in Trump that Ukrainians are fighters.

There is just one problem. The belt in question was not the belt won by Oleksander Usyk in the ring despite widespead media reports, and instead was a special version that included the Ukranian flag and other differences.

Zelensky tried to deceive Trump: Boxer Oleksandr Usyk said that he brought a fake championship belt to the White House

➖"All my belts are at home. What belt did Zelensky give Trump? Some special belt, I think..." he said. pic.twitter.com/WoFdUGwvht
— Rajendran (@Rajendr67215893) March 2, 2025

"A special belt, I think, some kind of a belt. I know what kind of belt it is, I just can't tell anyone anything. And I don't want to," Usyk said in a statement to Ukranian media.

There is no doubting Usyk’s own credentials and the validity of the belt he won in the ring. The all-time great heavyweight became the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world on May 18, 2024 when he defeated Tyson Fury to unify the division.

Zelensky left the White House meeting, his prepared Chicken lunch never served. The boxing belt stayed behind.

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