Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, as tensions between the two leaders flared over the ongoing war in Ukraine. The meeting, which took place amidst the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was fraught with political implications for both the U.S. presidential election and the future of U.S. support for Ukraine.
Speaking to Fox News after their 40-minute meeting, Trump stated, “We both want to see this end, and we both want to see a fair deal made. The president [Zelenskyy] wants it to end, and he wants it to end as quickly as possible. He wants a fair transaction to take place.”
Zelenskyy, who has led Ukraine’s resistance against Russia since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, was quick to emphasize that the war should never have started. He also reaffirmed the importance of maintaining pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We need to do everything to pressure him to stop this war,” Zelenskyy said. “He is in our territory. That’s most important to understand.”
The meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump came at a decisive time for Ukraine. As the U.S. presidential election draws nearer, the future of U.S. military and financial support for Ukraine hangs in the balance. While the Biden administration has been a steadfast ally of Ukraine, providing billions of dollars in aid and weapons to support its war effort, Trump’s potential return to the White House could signal a significant shift in American policy.
Throughout his current presidential campaign, Trump has been critical of U.S. support for Ukraine, often downplaying the stakes of the conflict. His rhetoric about Zelenskyy has grown increasingly skeptical, as Trump has portrayed the Ukrainian president as a “salesman” who successfully convinced Washington to fund Ukraine’s defense effort. Trump’s comments have drawn sharp contrasts with Vice President Kamala Harris, who stands as his main Democratic rival in the 2024 election and has strongly backed continued U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Despite their apparent differences, Trump and Zelenskyy both acknowledged the importance of resolving the conflict. However, their visions for what that resolution would look like are starkly different. Trump has repeatedly criticized the continuation of the war and advocated for a negotiated peace deal, arguing that even the worst deal would have been better than the current conflict. Zelenskyy, on the other hand, has insisted that peace can only come once Ukraine’s territorial integrity is fully restored and Russian forces have withdrawn from occupied regions.
Trump’s Evolving Stance on Ukraine
Trump’s statements on Ukraine have remained controversial since the beginning of the war. His relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has often come under scrutiny, especially following remarks where Trump referred to Putin as “pretty smart” for initiating the invasion. This rhetoric has raised concerns among both U.S. and international observers about what a second Trump presidency would mean for Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty.
During Friday’s meeting, Trump once again brought up his first impeachment trial in 2019, which stemmed from his infamous phone call with Zelenskyy in which he asked for a “favor” — namely, that Zelenskyy investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who had been involved with a Ukrainian gas company. At the time of the call, Trump had withheld $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, which was embroiled in a fight against Russian-backed separatists. While Trump was acquitted by the Senate, the episode damaged relations between the two leaders.
Reflecting on the impeachment, Trump said, “He [Zelenskyy] could have grandstanded and played cute, but he didn’t do that. He said, ‘President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong.’ He said it loud and clear.” Zelenskyy had indeed told reporters in 2019 that there was “no blackmail” from Trump, though subsequent reporting suggested that the Ukrainian president felt pressure from the Trump administration to investigate the Bidens.
Zelenskyy’s Diplomatic Tightrope
For Zelenskyy, managing relations with U.S. leaders has been a delicate balancing act. Ukraine’s survival largely depends on Western support, particularly from the United States, which has provided a substantial portion of the military equipment and financial aid necessary to counter Russia’s military might. Yet, Zelenskyy has been careful to avoid being seen as meddling in U.S. domestic politics, especially during a contentious presidential campaign.
In his remarks to reporters following Friday’s meeting, Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of not interfering in U.S. elections, a position he has maintained since the 2019 impeachment inquiry. However, Zelenskyy’s frustration with Trump’s portrayal of the conflict was evident in a recent interview with The New Yorker, where he implied that Trump oversimplifies the war and lacks a deep understanding of the situation. He also criticized Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, as being “too radical” and accused him of advocating for Ukraine to make concessions to Russia by giving up some of its territories.
Zelenskyy’s concerns are not without merit. Trump has repeatedly suggested that Ukraine should make compromises to end the war, framing any peace deal, no matter how unfavorable, as preferable to the ongoing conflict. In a speech earlier this week in North Carolina, Trump said, “Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been better than what we have now. They would’ve given up a little bit, and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”
Kamala Harris and the Democratic Position
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party, represented by Vice President Kamala Harris, has taken a dramatically different approach. During a joint appearance with Zelenskyy on Thursday, Harris reaffirmed the Biden administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine and condemned Trump’s approach to the war. “Trump’s push for Ukraine to quickly cut a deal to end the war is not a proposal for peace, it’s a proposal for surrender,” Harris said. She added that peace can only be achieved if Ukraine is able to retain its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Harris’s remarks came just one day after Trump claimed he was not advocating for surrender but for a resolution that would bring about an immediate end to the conflict. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump was asked if he believed Ukraine could win the war. His response was notably noncommittal: “Sure. They could.”
While Trump maintained that he has “a very good relationship” with Zelenskyy, he also reminded reporters that he similarly had a positive relationship with Putin. “If we win, I think we’re going to get it resolved very quickly,” Trump stated. Zelenskyy, appearing alongside Trump, interjected, “I hope we have more good relations between us.”
Ukraine and U.S. Politics
As the U.S. presidential election heats up, the future of the war in Ukraine is increasingly becoming a focal point of debate. Trump’s stance on the conflict — combined with his history of friendly relations with Putin — has raised concerns that a second Trump administration could lead to a dramatic reduction in U.S. support for Ukraine or even pressure Kyiv into making unfavorable concessions to end the war.
For Zelenskyy, navigating this complex political landscape requires a careful balancing act. On the one hand, he must maintain strong relations with the Biden administration and the broader Democratic Party, which has been instrumental in securing aid for Ukraine. On the other hand, he cannot afford to alienate Trump and his supporters, especially if Trump regains power.
The stakes are high. Should U.S. support for Ukraine waver, it could have profound implications for the country’s ability to resist Russia’s aggression. For now, Zelenskyy continues to advocate for international pressure on Russia and insists that peace can only come on terms that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.
As both leaders wrapped up their remarks on Friday, Trump ended the discussion with a familiar phrase: “It takes two to tango.” Whether Trump, Zelenskyy, and Putin can all find common ground remains to be seen — but for the Ukrainian people, the outcome of the next U.S. election could determine the future of their country.
