Donald Trump receives Volodymyr Zelensky and demands peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on a promotional tour in the USA. In New York he visits Donald Trump. The former US president boasts that he knows Putin well.

During his visit to the USA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj met with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in New York for talks in Trump Tower.

What exactly does Donald Trump mean by “deal”?

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. In recent days he had accused Zelensky of refusing to make a “deal”. Critics see such a “deal” as a de facto capitulation by Ukraine and accuse Trump of taking over the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He hoped for “a good meeting” with Zelensky, Trump said at the start of their meeting to journalists in Trump Tower. “We have a very good relationship, and – as you know – I also have a very good relationship with President Putin,” Trump said. He reiterated his position that if he wins the election, he would “very quickly find a solution” to the conflict.

Zelensky and Trump: War must end

Zelenskyj said at the start of the meeting with the ex-president that they shared the “common point of view” that the war must end. The last face-to-face meeting between Trump and Zelensky took place in 2019, when Trump was still president.

Trump and the US government under President Joe Biden take opposite positions on the Ukraine issue. If Trump wins the presidential election on November 5th, Kiev fears an imminent end to US military aid.