Former President Donald Trump said Friday that – if elected – he’s ready to work out a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, emphasizing his good relationship with Vladimir Putin even as the former president stood next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump and Zelensky met in New York on Friday, giving the Ukrainian leader the chance to make a personal pitch to the GOP presidential nominee who is openly skeptical of continued US security assistance for Ukraine against Russia.
The tensions between the two men – both of whom had been critical of the other leading up to the meeting – were obvious during a pre-meeting Q-and-A with reporters.
“We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And I think if we win, we’re going to get it resolved very quickly,” Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Zelensky.
“I hope we have more good relations between us,” Zelensky interjected.
“Oh, I see,” Trump said. “It takes two to tango, you know, and we will – we’re going to have a good meeting today. And I think the fact that we’re even together today is a very good sign.”
Friday’s meeting came at a pivotal moment for Zelensky ahead of November’s US election. He’s sought this week to convince the Biden administration that his country can still win the war, so long as the US and other countries significantly and quickly ramp up military assistance.
Trump has repeatedly complained about the funding the US has provided for Ukraine and claimed he will quickly end the war between the two sides, which began with Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February 2022. Zelensky said this week that Trump doesn’t know how to end Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“Hopefully, we’ll have a good victory, because if the other side wins, I don’t think you’re going to have victories with anything, to be honest with you,” Trump said of the race between him and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee.
“So, we’re going to sit down (to) just discuss it, and if we have a win, I think long before I, before January 20, before I would take the presidency – it’s January 20 – but long before that, I think that we can work out something that’s good for both sides. It’s time,” Trump added. “By the way, the president (Zelensky) knows that too. He wants to get something done. He doesn’t want to do this.”
Zelensky thanked Trump for agreeing to meet with him, recalling how five years had passed since their last meeting, and said he believes they share a common view that Putin must be stopped.
“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, and I want to discuss with you the details about that,” Zelensky said.