Donald Trump meets Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump tower, calls for end to war
- In Reports
- 12:11 PM, Sep 28, 2024
- Myind Staff
Donald Trump met with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at his New York base, Trump Tower, on Friday, stating that it was time for Russia's war in Ukraine to be settled. The Republican presidential nominee has often criticised Zelensky during his campaign, making their meeting seem unlikely until just hours before.
Standing side by side, Zelensky expressed that they shared a "common view that the war has to be stopped and Putin can't win." He added that he would discuss the details of his "victory plan" with Trump. Despite past tensions, Trump claimed to have a very good relationship with Zelensky, saying, “I also have a very good relationship as you know with President Putin and I think if we win [the election] we’re going to get it resolved very quickly.”
After their meeting, Trump told Fox News that he “learned a lot” and emphasised, “We both want to see this end, and we both want to see a fair deal made.” He also noted, “It should stop and the president (Zelensky) wants it to stop, and I’m sure President Putin wants it to stop, and that’s a good combination.”
Zelensky remarked on the importance of stopping the war, stating, “Putin killed so many people and of course, we need to do everything to pressure him to stop this war. He’s on our territory.” He invited Trump to visit Ukraine, to which Trump replied, “I will.”
Zelensky later shared on his Telegram channel that their meeting was “very meaningful.” He reiterated, “We have a common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. Ukrainians must win.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that if he is not elected president, "that war will never end, and will phase into WORLD WAR III."
The relationship between Trump and Zelensky has been complicated. Trump was impeached in 2019 over allegations that he pressured Zelensky to investigate the Biden family. A transcript of the call showed Trump urging Zelensky to look into Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
During the meeting, Trump praised Zelensky’s handling of the situation. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump has echoed Moscow’s talking points about the war. In a recent presidential debate, he avoided stating whether he wanted Ukraine to win.
Ahead of Friday’s meeting, Trump claimed he could "work out something" to end the war if he wins the presidential election before Joe Biden leaves office in January. He has not clarified whether he believes Ukraine should cede territory to Russia to resolve the conflict.
Although Zelensky has been in the US since Sunday, their meeting was confirmed only on Thursday night. Trump shared a screenshot of a text message from Zelensky, emphasising the importance of personal contact.
Zelensky's visit to an arms factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, earlier this week drew criticism from some Republicans, who labelled it a partisan campaign event. House Speaker Mike Johnson said it was "designed to help Democrats" and amounted to "election interference."
Trump has become increasingly critical of continued US funding for Ukraine, recently calling Zelensky the "greatest salesman on Earth" for securing military aid. Conversely, Zelensky expressed to the New Yorker magazine that he believes Trump “doesn't really know how to stop the war” and criticised Trump's running mate, JD Vance, as “too radical” for suggesting that Ukraine should give up territory to end the war.
On Thursday, Zelensky met with President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss his "victory plan," which aims to pressure Russia into a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Just hours earlier, Biden announced an additional $7.9 billion military assistance package for Ukraine.
As Zelensky visited the US, drone attacks continued in Ukraine. On Thursday night, three people were killed and 14 others were injured in a Russian drone strike on Izmail, a port city on the River Danube. Prosecutors confirmed that two boys aged three and 13, and a girl aged 14, were among the injured. Romania’s defence ministry indicated that one of the Russian drones may have briefly crossed into Romania, a NATO member state.
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