Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump on his victory in a message shared on social media platform X.
Zelensky reflected on a “wonder meeting” with Trump in September, during which they discussed plans to counter the Russian invasion and a strategic partnership between the US and Ukraine.
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Expressing his appreciation for Trump’s “peace through strength” approach, Zelensky voiced optimism that this policy could help bring about a “just peace” in Ukraine.
“We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States,” Zelensky wrote.
Zelensky also underscored Ukraine’s goal of fostering strong political and economic ties with the US.
“Ukraine, as one of Europe’s strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the Transatlantic community with the support of our allies,” he said.
Donald Trump was the 45th and will soon be the 47th US President. He has repeatedly claimed he could end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours” if elected.
During an interview on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures” in July 2023, Trump said he has “a good relationship with both Zelensky and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin” before adding that he considered current President Joe Biden “incapable of dealing with world leaders.”
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Trump’s 24-hour plan
During a June “Town Hall” campaign event on Fox News, host Sean Hannity asked about how Trump planned to stop the war in 24 hours, to which the latter said he would “get them into a room.”
“I will get them into a room, and I know an exact way. You tell one ‘You’re not going to get anything unless you make a deal.’ You tell the other one ‘They’re going to get a lot unless you make a deal.’
“And you just sit them, and you put them, and you have to make a determination,” Trump said.
Although Trump did not elaborate on the details, his comments suggested that he could coerce Ukraine into trading occupied territories for peace with the threat of rewarding Putin with more territories if Kyiv refused to accept his offer.
Following these comments, Zelensky said he was ready to meet with Trump and discuss his proposals for a war-ending peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow but would not surrender territory or Ukraine’s independence.
Zelensky’s meeting with Trump
On Sept. 27, 2024, Zelensky met with former Trump at Trump Tower in New York during Zelensky’s visit to the United States.
Their interaction followed tensions over Zelensky’s interview with The New Yorker, where he questioned Trump’s ability to end the war in Ukraine and criticized Trump’s running mate, JD Vance.
But after disappointing meetings with Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris, during which permission to use US-made long-range precision missiles on Russian territory was once again denied, Zelensky reached out to Trump.
During the meeting, they discussed strategies for ending the war in Ukraine, with Trump promising a peace plan that would be “good for both sides.”
Trump praised Zelensky for not “playing cute” over past controversies and commended their rapport, while also noting his “good relationship” with Putin.
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