In Call With Ukrainian President, Donald Trump Pledges To End Russia War
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pledging to end the European country’s war with Russia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “I appreciate President Zelensky for reaching out because I, as your next President of the United States, will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families.”
“Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” he added.
Later, in an X post, the Ukrainian President acknowledged his conversation with Trump and said, “I spoke with Donald Trump to congratulate him on the Republican nomination and condemn the shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future.”
“I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation’s freedom and independence. Ukraine will always be grateful to the United States for its help in strengthening our ability to resist Russian terror. Russian attacks on our cities and villages continue every day.”
“We agreed with President Trump to discuss at a personal meeting what steps can make peace fair and truly lasting,” Zelenskyy tweeted.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — though a Trump victory in the November election would put Washington’s continued support into question.
Trump’s running mate JD Vance leads the isolationist wing of congressional Republicans, who argue the United States should drop aid to Ukraine.
Vance was one of the fiercest opponents of the approval of $61 billion in new military aid for Ukraine, which was stalled by Republican lawmakers for months earlier this year — a time in which Russia made battlefield gains.
Trump told the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday that he would bring an end to raging international crises, saying he could “stop wars with a telephone call.”
“I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said, without elaborating on how.
Trump’s relationship with Zelenskyy famously goes back to his time in the White House.
In 2019, Trump was impeached for withholding military aid to Ukraine while pressuring Zelensky to help him dig up dirt on his election rival Biden — a race he went on to lose in 2020.