(Washington) Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on the phone Friday, with the former US president saying he promised the Ukrainian president to “end the war” between Ukraine and Russia if he returned to the White House.
“As your next president of the United States, I will bring peace to the world and end the war that has taken so many lives,” the Republican presidential candidate in November declared on his Truth Social platform, describing it as a “very good call.”
Donald Trump frequently claims that he would be able to end the conflict in Ukraine very quickly upon his return to power, but without ever providing details on how he would achieve this.
Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the phone call, during which he congratulated the billionaire on his official inauguration the day before as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate.
“I underscored the vital support of both parties and both houses of the United States Congress to protect our nation’s freedom and independence,” he said on his X account.
Donald Trump’s frequent high praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as his criticism of other NATO members, has raised concerns among Ukraine’s Western allies.
PHOTO BENJAMIN CREMEL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
In February, he threatened that, if he returned to the White House, he would no longer guarantee the protection of the countries of the Atlantic Alliance against Russia if they did not pay their share, even stating that he would “encourage” Moscow to attack them.
The former US president also used his influence over Republicans to block for months in Congress a $61 billion military aid package for Kyiv, which was finally adopted at the end of April.
“Shocking”
Joe Biden’s United States is by far the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine, and a Donald Trump victory could jeopardize any future aid and thus force Kyiv to negotiate with Moscow from a disadvantaged position.
In his speech Thursday accepting the Republican Party’s nomination for president in November, Donald Trump portrayed himself as a leader of international stature, capable of ending conflicts around the world “with a phone call.”
“I will end every international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, which would never have happened if I were president,” the Republican candidate declared, also citing the war in the Gaza Strip, provoked by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
In his post on X on Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky said he had “agreed with President Trump to discuss, in a face-to-face meeting, steps to be taken towards a just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president also condemned the “shocking” assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
He had already said on Monday that he did not fear a new Republican presidency, despite the uncertainties that his election would bring about regarding the sustainability of Washington’s support for Kyiv.
“I think that if Donald Trump becomes president, we will work together. I am not afraid,” he said at a press conference in Kyiv.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump also have a heavy past. The American billionaire was the target of impeachment proceedings in the United States at the end of his term in 2019-2020 for having tried, during a phone call, to pressure the Ukrainian president to have Ukraine investigate the son of Joe Biden, his rival for the 2020 presidential election.