Former President Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower in New York on Friday (September 27, 2024). | Picture credit score: AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on Friday (September 27, 2024) to satisfy with former US President Donald Trump as public tensions rose between the 2 over defending Ukraine in opposition to the Russian invasion.
“I believe we’ve a typical opinion that the battle in Ukraine have to be stopped and that Putin can’t win,” Zelenskyy stated, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After arriving collectively in a convention room on Friday (September 27, 2024), Trump stated: “The truth that we’re collectively at the moment is an excellent signal.”
The go to takes place at Trump Tower in New York, a day after Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent, met with the Ukrainian chief and expressed her unwavering help.
The assembly is extremely anticipated and comes as Election Day approaches, with Trump and Harris taking starkly completely different positions on supporting Ukraine within the third 12 months of its battle with Russia.
In latest days, Trump has praised Russia’s historic army victories and insisted that the USA must “get out” and finish its relationship with Ukraine.
The assembly on Friday (September 27, 2024) was virtually not scheduled though Zelenskyy’s workplace stated one thing had been deliberate in the course of the Ukrainian chief’s go to to the UN Basic Meeting, throughout which he’s making his speech finish to his allies.
In an interview with The New Yorker revealed earlier this week, Zelenskyy implied that Trump misunderstands and oversimplifies the battle. The Ukrainian chief stated Trump’s working mate, JD Vance, was “too radical” and had primarily advocated for Ukraine to “make a sacrifice” by “giving up its territories.”
Trump criticized Zelenskyy and Ukraine on two separate events this week. Talking on Wednesday (September 25, 2024) in North Carolina, Trump referred to Ukraine as “demolished” and its folks as “lifeless.”
“Any deal, even the worst, would have been higher than the one we’ve now,” Trump stated. “If that they had made a foul deal, it will have been significantly better. They might have given up a little bit and everybody would reside, each constructing can be constructed and each tower would age for an additional 2,000 years.”
In the meantime, Ms. Harris on Thursday (September 26, 2024) stood alongside Zelenskyy and stated that Trump’s stress for Ukraine to shortly attain a deal to finish the battle “weren’t peace proposals,” however “give up proposals.” Trump stated on Thursday (September 26, 2024) that he was not advocating a give up.
Whereas Trump and Vance have criticized US help for Ukraine, different Republican allies of the previous president have backed kyiv’s protection in opposition to Moscow’s invasion and argued that supporting Ukraine is within the US curiosity.
An ally of each Ukraine and Trump is Sen. Lindsey Graham, R.S.C. In a closed-door assembly Zelenskyy had with senators on the Capitol, additionally on Thursday (Sept. 26, 2024), Graham stood up and stated he had been speaking to Trump concerning the Ukrainian president, in keeping with one particular person. aware of the scenario and was granted anonymity to debate the non-public assembly.
Graham advised these within the room that he would communicate to Zelenskyy privately about his conversations with Trump, the particular person stated. Because the assembly got here to a detailed, Graham took Zelenskyy apart and the 2 had a personal dialog.
Graham is near the previous president, regardless of an on-again, off-again relationship, and has typically performed a go-between function on varied points. He didn’t reply to a message in search of touch upon Thursday (September 26, 2024).
Printed – September 27, 2024 08:31 pm IST