Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky finally managed to meet Donald Trump. The photo that emerges from this Friday’s meeting at Trump Tower in New York exudes discomfort. Particularly from the Ukrainian, while the former American president promised to end the war. “I have very good relations with President Putin. And I think if we win [los republicanos]“We will resolve it quickly,” assured the tycoon. This is the first time the two have seen each other since 2019, when Trump was still president.
The tycoon’s comments this Friday only increase Zelensky’s concern for the future of his country if Trump manages to return to the White House on November 5. This week, the former president suggested at a rally in North Carolina that Ukraine should have ceded territory to Russia before the 2022 invasion. Trump, before saying he had a good relationship with Putin also assured that he had one with Zelensky. Something difficult to believe from the Ukrainian president, who has also been the subject of criticism from Trump, even if he seemed satisfied with the meeting this Friday.
“It’s an honor to have the president with us, and he’s been through a lot,” Trump said, “like probably no one else, almost no one else in history, if you really think about it , and we’re going to have a discussion and see what we can do.” The tycoon’s remarks represent a sea change in his narrative about how Zelensky handled the war.
The last time the Ukrainian and the Republican saw each other was also on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The tension was then palpable too. On this occasion, the Democrats opened an investigation into Trump to carry out the first impeachment against him. To try to disarm his rivals, Trump had pressured Zelensky to investigate possible influence peddling linked to Biden’s son.
The United States has been Ukraine’s main ally maintaining the front since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, so the outcome of this November 5 will determine not only the future of Americans, but also that of Ukrainians. . Zelensky is aware of this and that is why he has offered to meet with both President Joe Biden and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, as well as Trump. Although the former president only accepted the invitation on Thursday evening, right after Zelensky met with Harris.
Just as he did this Thursday with Biden and Harris, the Ukrainian leader presented his “victory plan for Ukraine” to Trump. The objective of this plan, of which no further details are known, would be to strengthen kyiv’s position in the face of a hypothetical negotiation with Moscow to end the war. Broadly speaking, the “victory plan” is expected to include demands to improve Western security guarantees for the invaded country, increase military aid and secure more economic support.
Although Trump has said that if he wins, he will work from day one to resolve the conflict, Zelensky is working to ensure full economic and military support from the United States. The former president is the one who incited the most radical sector of the Republicans to keep $61,000 in aid to Ukraine blocked for months. This was not released until Israel attacked Iran last April, since the foreign aid package also included an element for Tel Aviv.
Biden promised Zelensky he would accelerate aid to Ukraine before his term ends. “I have directed the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security assistance funds that were allocated to Ukraine before the end of my term,” Biden said during the meeting with. Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Despite this, the Ukrainian president was unable to meet his main demand: to be able to use long-range Western missiles to attack inside Russia. The United States has given the green light to use Western artillery to attack Russian territory closest to the border, but for Ukrainian troops to penetrate even further into Russia would be a big advance. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already warned NATO that if this happens, the conflict will intensify. For now, Biden continues to be reluctant to lift the restriction.
