NEW YORK (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived Friday for a gathering with Donald Trump as public tensions have been rising between the 2 over Ukraine’s protection towards Russia’s invasion.
“I believe we’ve got a standard view that the battle in Ukraine must be stopped and Putin can’t win,” Zelenskyy stated referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After arriving collectively at a convention room on Friday, Trump stated “the truth that we’re even collectively in the present day is an excellent signal.”
The go to is happening at Trump Tower in New York, a day after Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent, met with the Ukrainian chief and expressed unwavering support.
The assembly is very anticipated and comes as Election Day nears, with Trump and Harris taking sharply completely different positions on backing Ukraine within the third yr of its battle with Russia.
Trump has in latest days praised Russia’s historic army victories and insisted the U.S. wants “to get out” and finish its involvement with Ukraine.
Friday’s assembly nearly wasn’t scheduled regardless of Zelenskyy’s workplace saying one thing had been deliberate throughout the Ukrainian chief’s go to to the U.N. Normal Meeting, throughout which he’s making his endgame pitch to allies.
In an interview with The New Yorker that was revealed earlier this week, Zelenskyy implied Trump doesn’t perceive and oversimplifies the battle. The Ukrainian chief stated Trump’s working mate JD Vance was “too radical” and had basically advocated for Ukraine to “make a sacrifice” by “giving up its territories.”
Trump ripped Zelenskyy and Ukraine on two separate events this week. Talking Wednesday in North Carolina, Trump referred to Ukraine as “demolished” and its individuals as “useless.”
“Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been higher than what we’ve got now,” Trump stated. “In the event that they made a nasty deal it could’ve been a lot better. They’d’ve given up somewhat bit and everyone can be residing and each constructing can be constructed and each tower can be getting old for one more 2,000 years.”
In the meantime, Harris on Thursday stood alongside Zelenskyy and stated Trump’s push for Ukraine to rapidly lower a deal to finish the battle had been “not proposals for peace,” however “proposals for give up.” Trump on Thursday stated he was not advocating for a give up.
Whereas Trump and Vance have been important of U.S. backing for Ukraine, different Republican allies of the previous president have backed Kyiv’s protection towards Moscow’s invasion and argue supporting Ukraine is in America’s curiosity.
One ally of each Ukraine and Trump is Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. At a closed-door assembly Zelenskyy had with senators on Capitol Hill, additionally on Thursday, Graham stood up and stated he had been speaking to Trump in regards to the Ukrainian president, based on an individual acquainted with the scenario and granted anonymity to debate the non-public assembly.
Graham instructed these within the room he would speak to Zelenskyy privately about his conversations with Trump, the individual stated. Because the assembly got here to an in depth, Graham pulled Zelenskyy apart and the 2 had a non-public dialog.
Graham is near the previous president, regardless of an on-again-off-again relationship, and has usually performed a job as an middleman on numerous topics. He didn’t reply to a message looking for remark Thursday.
Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Mascaro from Washington.
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