WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump said he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday morning.
Trump was before not expected On Thursday, he will meet with the President of Ukraine, who has meetings with both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Both Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio were critical US aid to Ukraine.
“What’s happening in Ukraine is shameful: so much death, so much destruction. It’s a terrible thing,” Trump said Thursday. “And one of the things that really bothers me is that Europe is paying a fraction of what the United States is paying, and we have an ocean between us and Russia. They don’t. “
In what could be one of his last visits with the Biden administration on U.S. soil, Zelenskyy traveled to the White House on Thursday to meet with Biden, weeks before his successor is named in November’s presidential election.
Biden announced nearly $8 billion in a new aid package for Ukraine, which Zelenskyy called “huge help.” The aid consists of 5.5 billion dollars. security assistance for the country. The president also said that the United States will provide Ukraine with a Joint Endurance Weapon with long-range capabilities, among other security measures.
“Let me be clear: Russia will not win the war,” Biden said before his meeting with Zelensky. “Russia will not win. Ukraine will win and we will continue to be by your side every step of the way.”
The White House visit showed Democratic leaders’ strong support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, but signaled a potential shift in relations between the two countries if Trump is elected.
During the presidential debates in September, Trump was asked twice if he wanted Ukraine to win the war. Both times he dodged the question, avoiding saying he wanted the US ally to win. Instead, he said“I want the war to stop.”
Trump’s planned meeting with Zelenskiy comes days after Zelenskiy called Vance “very radical,” according to a news release on Sunday. The New Yorker. The story also quoted Zelensky as saying, “My feeling is that even if Trump could stop the war, he really doesn’t know. think how does he know.”
Vance answered Zelensky “I don’t appreciate Zelensky coming to this country and telling the American taxpayers what to do,” he said Wednesday.
Senator from Ohio said on Wednesday “Anything will be on the table,” he said when asked if he believed Ukraine would have to give up land in exchange for ending the war.
Zelenskyy and Harris met seven times, the leaders said today, and the Democratic nominee reiterated Biden’s continued support for the besieged country.
“We have a common idea about what needs to be done,” Zelensky said before the meeting with the vice president.
“There are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up a large part of its sovereign territory, demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and demand that Ukraine renounce security ties with other nations,” he said before meeting with Harris. Zelensky refers to Trump. “These proposals are the same as Putin’s proposals, and frankly, they are not peace proposals. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable.”
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Zelensky called for support for his country against the Russian invasion.
“I want peace for my people – real peace and just peace. And I want your support from all the peoples of the world. We are not dividing the world,” he said during his speech. “I ask you the same thing: do not divide the world. Be nations together, that will bring us peace.”
According to the White House, Biden and Zelensky will meet again on October 12 in Germany.
Sarah Dean, Jake Traylor, Alec Hernandez, Catherine Koretsky and Abigail Williams contributed.