Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has finally managed to meet with Donald Trump. The photo that comes out of this Friday’s meeting at Trump Tower in New York exudes discomfort. Especially on the part of the Ukrainian, while the former American president promised to end the war. “I have a very good relationship with President Putin. And I think that if we (the Republicans) win, we will solve it quickly,” the tycoon said. It is the first time that both have seen each other again since 2019, when Trump was still president.
The magnate’s words this Friday only increase Zelensky’s concern for the future of his country if Trump manages to regain the White House this November 5th. This week, the former president suggested at a rally in North Carolina that Ukraine should have ceded territory to Russia before the invasion in 2022. Trump, before saying that he has a good relationship with Putin, has also assured that he has one with Zelensky. Something difficult to believe on the part of the Ukrainian president, who has also been the focus of Trump’s criticism, although this Friday he seemed satisfied with the meeting.
“It’s an honor to have the president with us, and he’s been through a lot,” Trump said, “like probably no one else, almost no one else in history, if you really think about it, and we’re going to have a discussion and see what we can do.” propose”. The tycoon’s words represent a drastic change in the tycoon’s narrative about how Zelensky has managed the war.
The last time the Ukrainian and the Republican saw each other was also on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The tension was palpable then too. On that occasion, the Democrats had opened an investigation into Trump to carry out the first impeachment against him. To try to disarm his rivals, Trump had pressured Zelensky to investigate a possible influence-peddling scheme related to Biden’s son.
The United States is the main ally that Ukraine has to be able to maintain the front since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, so the result of this November 5 will not only determine the future of the Americans, but also that of the ukrainians. Zelensky is aware of this and that is why he proposed meeting both President Joe Biden and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, as well as Trump. Although the former president did not accept the invitation until late Thursday, just after Zelensky had met Harris.
Just as he did this Thursday with Biden and Harris, the Ukrainian leader presented his “victory plan for Ukraine” to Trump. The objective of this plan, about which no further details are known, would be to strengthen kyiv’s position in the face of a hypothetical negotiation with Moscow to end the war. Broadly speaking, the “victory plan” is believed to include requests to improve Western security guarantees for the invaded country, increase military aid and secure more economic support.
Although Trump has said that if he wins he will work from day 1 to solve the conflict, Zelensky is working to ensure all economic and military support from the United States. The former president was the one who instigated the most radical sector of the Republicans to keep the $61,000 aid for Ukraine blocked for months. This was not unlocked until Israel attacked Iran last April, since the foreign aid package also included an item for Tel Aviv.
Biden promised Zelensky that he would accelerate aid to Ukraine before the end of his term. “I have ordered the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security assistance funds that have been allocated to Ukraine before the end of my term,” Biden said during the meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Even so, the Ukrainian president was unable to resolve his main request: to be able to use long-range Western missiles to attack inside Russia. The United States gave the green light to use Western artillery to attack the Russian territory closest to the border, but for Ukrainian troops it would be a great advance to penetrate even further into Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already warned NATO that if this happens the conflict will escalate. For the moment, Biden continues to show reluctance to lift the restriction.
Source: www.eldiario.es
