New York: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a "very productive" closed-door meeting with former US President Donald Trump on Friday, where he presented his 'victory plan' for the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump said he would work with both Ukraine and Russia to end their conflict in his first meeting with the Ukrainian leader since 2019.
The two leaders held discussions at Trump Tower in Manhattan. Zelenskyy said he was talking with both Trump and his Democratic rival in the November 5 election, Vice President Kamala Harris, because Ukraine needed strong U.S. support in its continuing war with Russia. Trump praised Zelenskyy, but said he also had a solid relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I had a very productive meeting with @realDonaldTrump. I presented him our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed. I am grateful for this meeting. A just peace is needed. We share the common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. Ukrainians must prevail," said Zelenskyy on X.
What did Trump say on meeting Zelenskyy?
As the two leaders addressed a press conference before their meeting, Trump thanked Zelenskyy for meeting him and said "he had been through a tremendous amount". Zelenskyy responded by saying, "Thank you so much for this meeting. Five years past. We had a meeting here in New York, September, and now there are a lot of challenges in Ukraine, the United States, and of course I want to discuss with you I think where we are together."
Trump said that if he won the November 5 election he would immediately begin working toward a resolution of the Ukraine conflict, even though he would formally take office only in late January 2025. "Hopefully it will work out. If it does, we're going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled. To get it worked out. It has to end at some point. It has to end. He's (Zelenskyy) gone through hell, and his country has gone through hell like few countries have ever, like it's happened anywhere," he said.
"We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And if we win, I think we're going to get it resolved very quickly. I really think we're going to get it resolved, " the Republican former President further said, while Zelenskyy wished for more good relations between the two leaders.
Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy
During a press conference on Thursday, Trump repeated his claims that he could rapidly negotiate a deal between Russia and Ukraine if he defeats Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate in the race for the White House. On the day before, he had denounced Ukraine by alluding to Zelenskyy's recent criticism of him and his running mate JD Vance.
"It's something we have to have a quick discussion about because the president of Ukraine is in our country and he's making little nasty aspersions toward your favourite president, me. But take a look at the war happening right now in Ukraine. It would have never happened if I were president to start off with," Trump said on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy, who is visiting the US, previously described Vance as "too radical" for proposing that Ukraine surrender territories under Russian control and that Trump “doesn't really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how.” Zelenskyy is pitching the White House on what he calls a victory plan for the war, expected to include an ask to use long-range Western weapons to strike Russian targets.
Biden announces aid for Ukraine
Biden announced $8 billion in military aid to Kyiv, which includes the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon, with a range of up to 130 km. The medium-range weapon gives Ukraine a major upgrade it is using to attack Russian forces. The bomb is capable of striking targets with high accuracy and will be dropped from fighter jets.
"We’re making clear that we stand with Ukraine now and in the future," Biden told reporters ahead of a bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. He said the US would continue to help Ukraine strengthen its position on the battlefield, and that he had directed the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security funding by the end of his term in January.
Zelenskyy thanked Biden for his support and said it was important to secure Ukraine's future in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Zelenskyy has long sought NATO membership, but the allies have stopped short of taking that step. "We have a strong security agreement with United States, and we are grateful for it and we will fully implement it.," he said.
(with agency inputs)
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