During his multi-day visit to the USA, Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky also met Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – a staunch opponent of US billions in aid for Kiev, who could completely revise US Ukraine policy if re-elected. Zelenskyj and the real estate billionaire met for a brief exchange in Trump Tower in New York on Friday, after there had been speculation in the previous days that the meeting would be canceled.
Following the conversation, Trump reiterated his well-known position that he had a solution to the Ukraine war. “It’s a shame, but this war could never have happened,” said the 78-year-old. It is a “complicated puzzle,” but “we will get it solved.”
At the beginning of the meeting, Trump said about his relationship with Zelensky: “We have a very good relationship, and – as you know – I also have a very good relationship with President Putin,” said Trump. Zelensky replied irritably that he hoped their relationship was better. He and Trump shared the “common position” that the war must end.
Trump is a vehement critic of US billions in aid to Ukraine and is urging the leadership in Kiev to conclude an agreement with Russia. He had sharply criticized Zelensky in recent days, saying the Ukrainian president was “probably the greatest businessman in the world.” On each of his visits to the USA, he ended up taking “60 billion dollars” with him.
At the same time, Trump accused the Ukrainian head of state of closing himself to a “deal” with Russia. Critics, however, see such a “deal” as a de facto capitulation by Ukraine and accuse Trump of taking over the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In recent days, Zelenskyj had called for further support for his country in the war against Russia at the UN general debate in New York and during a visit to Washington. In his speech to the UN General Assembly, he ruled out that his country would ever bow to an externally imposed agreement.
At his meeting with US President Joe Biden on Thursday in Washington, he promised the Ukrainian president billions in new aid from the US and invited people to a summit of the Ukraine Contact Group on October 12 in Germany. Vice President Kamala Harris also assured Zelensky the “unwavering” support of the United States. The Ukrainian people are defending themselves “against a brutal dictator,” Harris said of Putin.
In April, the US Congress approved $61 billion (54.7 billion euros) in military aid for Ukraine. However, the Republican Party had previously blocked the money for months at the behest of its candidate.
In the race for the White House, Trump and Harris are neck and neck in the polls. Harris stands for a continuation of the incumbent government’s Ukraine policy. However, if Trump wins the presidential election on November 5th, Kiev fears an imminent end to US military aid.
Of the many scandals of Trump’s first term in office, the Ukraine affair was remembered: As president, in the summer of 2019, he called on Zelensky to investigate corruption against Joe Biden and his son Hunter. As a means of pressure, Trump is said to have withheld $391 million in US military aid to Kiev. The affair led to the first impeachment trial against Trump, which was rejected by his Republicans in the Senate.
