Zelenskyy and Trump meet amid tensions over Ukraine conflict
The Hindu
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy meets Trump amid tensions over Russia-Ukraine war, with scrutiny from U.S. politicians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (September 27, 2024) morning in New York after simmering tensions between the two politicians over divergent views on resolving the Russia-Ukraine war.
The recent U.S. assistance to Ukraine had cast doubt on whether the meeting would take place.
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The meeting, which lasted just under 45 minutes, took place at Trump Tower in Manhattan during Mr. Zelenskyy’s visit for the United Nations General Assembly.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Trump remarked that he maintained “very good” relations with both Mr. Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. In response, Mr. Zelenskyy expressed hope that Mr. Trump had better relations with Ukraine.
In a September 22 interview with The New Yorker, Mr. Zelenskyy had criticized Mr. Trump, stating that he believed the former president did not have a viable plan to end the war, and referred to Mr. Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, as “too radical.” On Wednesday, Mr. Trump accused Mr. Zelenskyy of making “little nasty aspersions” against him while remaining vague about his stance on the war’s outcome, emphasizing the need for it to conclude.
Mr. Trump said that if he won the U.S Presidential election, he would negoatiate a “fair and rapid deal”.