CNN —
Former President Donald Trump on Friday said he would be willing to work out a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine if elected, even though he was sitting next to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and said he would be willing to work out a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine if elected president. He emphasized good relations.
President Trump and President Zelensky met in New York on Friday, giving the Republican presidential candidate, who has been openly skeptical of continued U.S. security assistance to Russia, a chance to make a personal pitch to the Ukrainian leader.
The tension between the two men, who had both been critical of the other leading up to the meeting, was evident during the Q&A session with reporters before the meeting.
“We have a very good relationship, and as you know, I have a very good relationship with President Putin. If we win, I think it will be resolved very quickly,” Trump said. He spoke to reporters ahead of his meeting with Zelensky.
Zelenskiy interjected, saying, “I hope that the relations between our two countries will become even better.”
“Oh, I see,” Trump said. “It takes two people to tango, and we’ll do that. We’re going to have a good meeting today. And I think the fact that we’re together today is a very good sign.”
Friday’s meeting came at a crucial time for Zelenskiy ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. He has been trying to convince the Biden administration this week that his country can still win the war as long as the U.S. and other countries ramp up military aid significantly and quickly.
President Trump has repeatedly complained about the money the U.S. has provided to Ukraine and insisted on quickly ending the war between the two countries, which began with Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February 2022. President Zelenskiy said this week that President Trump doesn’t know how to end Russia’s war. War with Ukraine.
President Trump said of the race between himself and his vice president: “Hopefully we get a good win, because if they win, to be honest with you, we can win no matter what.” Because I don’t think so.” Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
“So, we’re going to sit down and have a discussion, and if we win, we’re going to think long before I’m going to be president, before January 20th, long before I’m going to be president.” January 20th. But I think it’s time to work out something that’s good for both sides.” Trump added. “By the way, the president (Zelensky) knows it too. He wants to accomplish something. He doesn’t want to do that.”
Mr. Zelensky thanked Mr. Trump for agreeing to meet with him, recalled that five years had passed since their last meeting, and believed that there was a common understanding that President Putin must be stopped. He said he was there.
Zelenskiy said: “I think there is a common view that the war in Ukraine must be stopped, that President Putin cannot win, that Ukraine must win. I would like to discuss this point in detail.” said.
After the meeting, Trump and Zelensky appeared together on Fox News. Even though President Zelenskiy has made it clear that he believes Russian troops must be completely expelled from Ukraine, President Trump reiterated that he believes a fair deal is possible and can be implemented quickly.
“I’ve learned a lot, but I think it hasn’t changed from the standpoint that we both want to see this end and we both want a fair deal to be struck. And that’s It has to be fair and I think it will happen at the right time. I think it will happen,” President Trump told Fox News after the meeting.
“It should stop, and the president wants it to stop. I’m sure President Putin wants it to stop, and that’s a good combination. So we want a fair deal for everyone. I’m thinking about it,” President Trump said.
Asked what he considered “fair,” Trump said, “It’s too early to say.”
“I have my own thoughts, and I’m sure the president has his own, but it has to be fair,” Trump said.
President Zelenskiy spoke out, reminding Putin how he invaded Ukrainian territory.
“This war should not have been started and I think the problem is that President Putin has killed so many people, and of course we will do everything possible to put pressure on President Putin to stop this war. He’s in our territory. That’s the most important thing. He’s in our territory, so we need to put as much pressure on him as possible. We have to do that,” Zelenskiy said.
President Trump said Zelenskyy “did his best to say” that “this is a war that should never have happened,” and that another meeting “could very well happen.”
President Trump questioned how Ukraine would be able to rebuild and rebuild its cities, saying, “It’s impossible.”
“By the way, you have to come see all of us,” Zelenskiy said.
“We will,” President Trump said. “It’s a beautiful country.”
Zelensky met with President Joe Biden and Harris at the White House on Thursday, and the Democratic nominee used the appearance to draw a sharp contrast with Trump on the Ukraine issue.
“There are people in my country who instead want to force Ukraine to give up most of its sovereign territory, demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and demand that Ukraine abandon its security ties with other countries.” Harris said.
Five years after Mr. Zelenskyy again became embroiled in a political firestorm in the United States by meeting with Mr. Trump the day after his visit to the White House, Mr. Zelenskyy is once again at the center of a heated political campaign in the United States. It was decided to be placed inside.
Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Trump last met during the Democratic Party’s impeachment investigation against Mr. Trump for denying Mr. Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House and U.S. aid to Ukraine, and Mr. Trump told the Ukrainian side at the time. was trying to get the US to announce an investigation into presidential candidate Biden.
Trump will ultimately be impeached by House Democrats for pressuring Zelensky to investigate Biden. Meanwhile, the President of Ukraine finally met with Biden in the Oval Office in September 2021.
President Trump praised Zelenskiy as a “steel-like” man during his first impeachment over the phone call.
“He could have been grandstanding, but he didn’t do that,” Trump said. “He said, ‘President Trump did nothing wrong.'” He said it so clearly that the impeachment hoax died there. ”
Trump criticized Zelensky at a rally on Wednesday, claiming the Ukrainian president “rejects a deal” with Russia, the former president’s most explicit criticism yet of Zelensky’s handling of the war. .
“Those cities are gone, and we continue to give billions of dollars to Mr. Zelensky who refused to make a deal. He didn’t get a deal that would make it any better than the situation you have now. Your country is destroyed and cannot be rebuilt,” Trump said in a campaign speech in Mint Hill, North Carolina.
Mr. Trump’s Republican allies in Congress are also outraged by Mr. Zelensky’s visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition plant with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. House Speaker Mike Johnson has called on Zelensky to fire Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., alleging that the president’s visit to a key battleground state with a large ethnic Ukrainian population was partisan. Republicans also objected to Zelensky’s comment in an interview with The New Yorker that his Republican vice presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, was “too radical.”
In the same interview, Zelensky criticized President Trump, saying: The more I think about this war, the less I often understand it. ”
President Trump left unanswered Thursday when asked whether he believed Ukraine should cede territory to Russia as a way to end the war.
“We’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters at Trump Tower.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
