The more the merrier: Trump invites Ukraine's Zelenskyy to attend his inauguration

WASHINGTON — The more merrier. At least when it comes to invitations to foreign leaders to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration next month.

Trump said Monday that if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to take part in the festivities, he's welcome to come to Washington.

"If he'd like to come, I'd like to have him," Trump said at a Monday news conference after a reporter asked him if he'd invited the Ukrainian president.

Trump has been doling out invitations to foreign leaders to the January 20 event at the U.S. Capitol, where he will be sworn in and officially assume power. Chinese President Xi Jinping is among the dignitaries that Trump is known to have invited, though multiple media outlets reported last week the Chinese ambassador to the U.S. was likely to go instead. Argentine President Javier Milei, who was the first leader to meet with Trump in person after his electoral victory, reportedly plans to attend.

Zelenskyy and Trump held talks this month while they were both in Paris for the reopening of of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, but the incoming U.S. president said Monday that he did not invite the Ukrainian leader to attend his inauguration.

Neither the Ukrainian government nor the Trump transition team were immediately available for comment on the invitations.

While the U.S. government typically sends delegations to the inaugurations of foreign leaders, it is atypical for an incoming American president to invite foreign leaders to the celebration that takes place outdoors in winter and is accompanied by a parade.

However, at a news conference on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump said he'd had a flood of requests from foreign leaders to meet with him. He indicated he was having difficulty keeping up.

Trump said he's taken more than 100 congratulatory calls from his former and future counterparts since the November election. "I'm trying...the best I can to get back to everybody, but there are a lot of countries," he said, "and every one of them, literally, every one called. It was very nice."

Trump said he hopes to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba soon and would be willing to do it before he takes office - if that's what Tokyo wants.

"The world leaders are calling me, and some really would like to meet," he said. "Literally, they're calling me. And I'll be seeing some of them. I think it's rude not to. I mean it's hard to say, I'm not going to see you."

In Paris, Trump said that he met with Prince William of Britain, who he said he was "very impressed" with after meeting the heir apparent to the monarchy.

Trump also said he'd been communicating with Xi, who he visited in Beijing and hosted at Mar-a-Lago during his first term. He told reporters on Monday that he has complicated feelings about Xi and said the COVID-19 pandemic strained their relationship.

But Trump said that he'd communicating with Xi recently through letters. "He's an amazing person," Trump said.

Trump also dismissed reports that the authoritarian leader would not attend his inauguration.

"I don't know that he won't be at the inauguration. I mean, I haven't really spoken to him about it. I don't know that actually. I would say that if he'd like to come, I'd love to have him. But there's been nothing much discussed," Trump said.

"He hasn't said one way or the other." Trump added, "It's something we barely discussed."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump invites Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy to inauguration