International

Trump Promises to End Ukraine War in Zelenskiy Meeting

Published

2 months ago

Sep 27, 2024.

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has announced on Friday his intention to collaborate with both Ukraine and Russia to bring an end to their ongoing conflict.

This declaration came during a press event at Trump Tower, where he was joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ahead of their meeting in New York.

Zelenskiy expressed his desire to share his “victory plan” for Ukraine with Trump, marking their first face-to-face encounter since 2019.

He emphasized the necessity of robust U.S. support for Ukraine amid its ongoing struggle against Russia, stating that he was meeting with both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, his opponent in the upcoming November 5 election.

While praising Zelenskiy, Trump also highlighted his strong rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We have a very good relationship (with Zelenskiy), and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin,” Trump remarked.

He expressed confidence that if he were to win the election, a resolution to the conflict could be achieved swiftly.

During the press conference, Zelenskiy was seen attentively listening to Trump, occasionally glancing up at him as he spoke.

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The Ukrainian leader is leveraging his visit to the U.S. to advocate for his “victory plan,” which has been characterized by a U.S. official as a restructured appeal for increased weaponry and a relaxation of long-range missile usage restrictions.

This plan aims for the decisive defeat of Russia, though some officials view its goals as overly ambitious.

When questioned on Thursday about whether Ukraine should consider ceding territory to Russia as a means to end the war—a suggestion that Kyiv firmly opposes—Trump responded, “We’ll see what happens.”

Despite his previous comments on the campaign trail, Trump expressed satisfaction in meeting with Zelenskiy on Friday.

Earlier in the week, Trump had claimed that Zelenskiy preferred Harris to win the election and referred to him as “the greatest salesman of all time” for securing billions in military aid for Ukraine.

“It’s an honor to have the president with us, and he’s been through a lot,” Trump stated.

“He’s been through a tremendous amount, like probably nobody else, almost nobody else in history, if you really get right down to it, and we’re going to have a discussion and see what we could come up with.”

Trump asserted that if he were to win the election, he would immediately initiate efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis, even though he would not officially assume office until late January 2025.

Zelenskiy is currently in the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly and met with President Joe Biden and Harris on Thursday.

Over the weekend, he visited a munitions factory in Pennsylvania alongside the state’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, a Harris supporter.

This trip stirred controversy within Trump’s campaign and angered some congressional Republicans, who perceived it as a campaign event, particularly given Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in the upcoming election.

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