Donald Trump has met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York in a high-stakes meeting at which the Ukrainian leader hoped to repair ties with the former US president.
The two men met at Trump Tower on Friday amid a growing feud between Zelenskyy and Republicans that Ukraine fears could sabotage further US military aid if Trump wins in November.
“We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin,” Trump said as he stood next to Zelenskyy before the meeting. “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.”
Going into the meeting, Zelenskyy 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,” the Ukrainian leader said. “And I want to discuss with you the details of our plan.”
That last meeting came before Trump was impeached 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.
In his opening remarks, Trump thanked Zelenskyy for what he said was his support during that scandal. “One of the reasons we won it so easily is that when he [Zelenskyy] was asked … he could have grandstanded and played cute, and he didn’t do that,” Trump said. “He said President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong. He said it loud and clear, and the impeachment hoax died right there.”
Zelenskyy told reporters in October 2019 as Congress was launching its impeachment inquiry that there was “no blackmail” from Trump.
The sit-down – which lasted less than an hour – could be Zelenskyy’s last chance to head off a growing conflict with Trump, who has frequently made complimentary remarks about Vladimir Putin and has also at times said he would cut off aid to Ukraine in order to force Kyiv to negotiate a truce – under any terms – with Moscow.
“It has to end,” Trump said of the war in Ukraine. “At some point, it has to end. [Zelenskyy’s] gone through hell. This country has gone through hell like few countries have ever… Nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
Zelenskyy later described the meeting as “very productive”. He wrote on X: “I presented our Victory Plan, and we thoroughly reviewed the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed. We share the common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. Ukrainians must prevail.”
The meeting took place after Zelenskyy’s visit to the UN general assembly and the White House to meet Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. During their meeting, the vice-president indirectly attacked Trump’s policy on Ukraine by saying “some in my country” would pressure Ukraine to cede territory to negotiate a peace with Putin.
“These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace,” Harris said. “Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable.”
The feud between the two men reignited this week after Zelenskyy said in an interview he did not believe Trump knew how to end the war in Ukraine and that his running mate, JD Vance, was “too radical” for endorsing a peace deal that would result in Kyiv giving up large swaths of occupied land to Russia.
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The Republican candidate has grown extremely critical of Zelenskyy on the campaign trail, attacking him in public speeches this week for “making little nasty aspersions toward your favourite president, me”.
“I watched this poor guy yesterday at the United Nations,” Trump had said of Zelenskyy in a campaign speech in North Carolina. “He just didn’t know what he was saying.”
He added: “Any deal – the worst deal – would’ve been better than what we have now. If they made a bad deal it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years … What deal can we make? It’s demolished. The people are dead. The country is in rubble.”
Before the meeting on Friday, Trump posted on the Truth Social social media platform what appeared to be a private message from Zelenskyy requesting a meeting with the former president. The message, which was sent by text, was transmitted through Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s deputy ambassador to Washington.
The decision to post the message online with little explanation will heighten concerns that any frank negotiations about the war and what aid the US government would be willing to provide could be made public at any time by Trump.
“Days ago, we requested a meeting with you, and I really want to hear your thoughts directly and firsthand,” the message read. “I believe it’s important for us to have a personal contact and to understand each other 100%. Let me know if you are in the city at that time – I would really like for our meeting to take place.” It was signed “Volodymyr”.