Zelenskyy Meets Trump Amid Concerns Over US Support For Ukraine, Republican Vows To Resolve War With Russia
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met former US President Trump to strengthen ties and seek support against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Donald Trump in New York in the hope of repairing ties with the former US President and shore up US support against Russia and Vladimir Putin. The Friday meeting came amid anxiety that if the Republican presidential nominee wins the November 5 polls, his administration’s support to Ukraine would likely be less staunch than that of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris's government.
Before the meeting, Trump said he thinks it is in the US’s interest for the conflict to end. “We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin,” the Republican leader said according to a report by The Guardian.
“And I think if we win, I think we’re going to get it resolved very quickly … I really think we’re going to get it … but, you know, it takes two to tango," he added.
Zelenskyy, while going into the meeting, noted he and Trump last met in person five years ago. “I think we have common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped, and Putin can’t win, and Ukraine has to prevail...It’s very important to share, to share all the plan, all our steps, how we can strengthen Ukraine,” the Ukrainian leader said.
Zelenskyy also reflected on the political reality as the US heads for an election, which is expected to be a close contest. “We have to decide it now because, after November, we don’t know who is, only Americans decide who will be the president, but we understand that till November, we can’t stop Putin,” he said.
In past, Trump has claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict if he was elected. However, experts fear any deal he oversaw would require Kyiv to hand over chunks of territory, something Zelenskyy has insisted he will not agree to, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
This meeting came against the backdrop of Trump's impeachment for asking Zelenskyy in a 2019 phone call to investigate Joe Biden and his son in an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. He was acquitted in the Senate later.
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