Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, announced that he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, September 27.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday at Trump Tower in Manhattan, Trump stated, “President Zelensky has requested a meeting, and I will be meeting with him tomorrow morning around 9:45 at Trump Tower.”
Zelensky has yet to confirm the meeting. Just a day earlier, sources close to Trump’s campaign claimed that Zelensky did not plan to meet with Trump during his visit to the U.S.
Zelensky is in New York for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Despite initial reports that Zelensky’s team was not seeking a meeting, Trump on Thursday shared a letter from the Ukrainian president requesting a convenient time for a meeting in New York.
Last week, Trump mentioned that he would “probably” speak with Zelensky during his visit.
Trump has been critical of the U.S. response to the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. During Thursday’s press conference, Trump reiterated his belief that the war would not have occurred under his leadership.
While Trump has called for the war to end, he has avoided directly stating whether a Ukrainian victory aligns with U.S. interests. During a recent presidential debate in Philadelphia, he emphasized the importance of negotiating a peace deal to stop the loss of human lives.
In contrast, U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, have been staunch supporters of Zelensky, providing substantial military aid to Ukraine. On Thursday, Harris met with Zelensky at the White House and vowed to “ensure Ukraine prevails in this war.”
Zelensky, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), said he shared his “victory plan” with Harris and Biden during their meetings, outlining a strategy to strengthen Ukraine’s position on the battlefield and advance towards a peace settlement with Russia.
