WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday morning at Trump Tower in New York.
Trump was previously not expected to meet with the Ukrainian president, who has already held meetings on Thursday with both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Both Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, have been critical of the U.S. aid to Ukraine.
“It’s a shame what’s happening in Ukraine: so many deaths, so much destruction. It’s a horrible thing,” Trump said on Thursday. “And one of the things that are very bothersome to me is the fact that Europe is paying only a small fraction of the money that the United States of America is paying, and we have an ocean between Russia and ourselves. They don’t.”
In what might have been one of his final visits with the Biden administration on U.S. soil, Zelenskyy traveled to the White House on Thursday to meet with Biden just weeks before his successor will be determined in the November presidential election.
Biden announced nearly $8 billion in a new support package for Ukraine, which Zelenskyy called “a great help.” The aid is comprised of $5.5 billion as a result of the president directing the Department of Defense “to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of my term in office,” as well as $2.4 billion in security assistance for the country. The president also said that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with the Joint Standoff Weapon, which has long-range capabilities, among other security measures.
“Let me be clear: Russia will not prevail in war,” Biden said ahead of his meeting with Zelenskyy. “Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail, and we’ll continue to stand by you every step of the way.”
The White House visit punctuated Democratic leaders’ staunch support of Ukraine in its war with Russia but foreshadows a potential change in the countries’ relationship if Trump clinches the election.
During the September presidential debate, Trump was asked twice whether he wanted Ukraine to win the war. Both times he ducked the question, avoiding saying that he wanted the U.S. ally to win. Instead, he said, “I want the war to stop.”
Trump’s planned meeting with Zelenskyy comes days after Zelenskyy called Vance “too radical,” according to a story published Sunday in The New Yorker. The story also quoted Zelenskyy as saying, “My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how.”
Vance responded to Zelenskyy on Wednesday, saying, “I don’t appreciate Zelenskyy coming to this country and telling the American taxpayers what to do.”
The Ohio senator also said on Wednesday that “everything is going to be on the table” when asked whether he believes that Ukraine should give up land in exchange for ending the war.
Zelenskyy and Harris have met seven times, the leaders said today, and the Democratic nominee has echoed Biden’s steadfast support of the beleaguered country.
“We have common view on the things that need to be done,” Zelenskyy said ahead of a meeting with the vice president.
“There are some in my country who would instead force Ukraine to give up large parts of its sovereign territory, who would demand that Ukraine accept neutrality, and would require Ukraine to forego security relationships with other nations,” Harris said ahead of her meeting with Zelenskyy, appearing to reference Trump. “These proposals are the same of those of Putin and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace. Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable.”
Zelenskyy delivered remarks to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, during which he urged support for his country against the Russian invasion.
“I want peace for my people — real peace and just peace. And I’m asking for your support, from all nations of the world. We do not divide the world,” he said during his speech. “I ask the same of you: Do not divide the world. Be united nations, and that will bring us peace.”
Biden and Zelenskyy will meet again on Oct. 12 in Germany, according to the White House.
