Republican candidate Donald Trump met with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenski, this Friday in what was a meeting to discuss, amongst others, his plans to help put an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine that has spanned almost three years.
The president who made the meeting known to pressmen has in the past criticized the Ukrainian leader over how he handled the conflict with Putin’s Russia. However, in the meeting between both men, he spoke highly of the Ukrainian president.
What Trump has said
The former president said in a statement that he shares a good relationship with both Vladimir Zelenski and Vladimir Putin; a relationship that he believes will come in handy when he makes an effort to stop the war between both countries if voted as president of the United States.
The statement made by Trump comes off the back of weeks of criticism of the methods the Ukrainian leader applied in his efforts to put a stop to the war and also defend the integrity of his nation and its people.
Responding to the remark by Trump, Zelenski said “he hoped they have more good relations,” opening the door to fixing the relationship between them, which has been strained.
Highlighted by the fact that the meeting is their first since 2019 when Donald Trump was accused of withholding aid packages from Ukraine in a bid to get the nation to investigate President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
Who else was visited?
While the main goal of visiting the US was to attend the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, the Ukrainian leader made a stop to pay a visit to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. The meeting with the leaders of the US government was held on Thursday, with the Biden administration reiterating its commitment to help Ukraine in the conflict and also providing $375 million in a new aid package to the embattled nation.
Trump has also been vocal in his criticism of the various aid packages that have been given to Ukraine, stating that each time Zelenski visits the US, he leaves with $100 billion in aid packages, a figure that the US government has clarified to be just $60 billion since the war started in 2022.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has left several casualties since its start after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022. While there have been various interventions by the international community, the war has continued, leading to countless consequences for both countries.
Efforts continue to be made that will see the end of the war become a possibility, and while the US will experience a change of government in the next few months, it remains committed to seeing that both countries reach a peaceful resolution while offering aid packages to Ukraine.
