Trisha Ghosh, Pune
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday in New York, calling for a ‘just peace’ amidst Zelenskyy’s visit to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Former US President Trump has said that he has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, and that if he wins the presidential election, he will attempt to negotiate a ‘fair and rapid’ deal to put an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The 45-minute meeting was held in Manhattan, at Trump Tower. Zelenskyy has said that he hopes Trump has much better ties with Ukraine. Zelenskyy had given an interview to The New Yorker on September 22, in which he had criticised Trump, expressing that he thinks Mr. Trump does not have a feasible strategy to resolve and end the war. He had also called J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, ‘too radical’.
Trump in turn condemned Zelenskyy on Wednesday for making such remarks about him. However, he did not give a clear answer regarding his stance on the war’s concluding outcome, and when questioned what could be considered a ‘fair’ deal, he said he could not define that at such an early stage. He simply stated that the conflict must end. He further expressed that both President Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin wish for the war to cease. Zelenskyy continued to emphasise the urgent need for a ‘just peace’, saying that President Putin must be compelled to end the war, as Russia is encroaching on Ukrainian territory.
Zelenskyy was present this Thursday in Washington DC to showcase a ‘Victory Plan’ to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the latter of whom is currently the Democratic nominee for the upcoming presidential election. Republicans criticised Zelenskyy visiting an ammunition factory on Sunday last week in Scranton, Pennsylvania, which is Biden’s hometown. The factory in question manufactures artillery shells of 155 mm, of which the USA sent 3 million to Ukraine, as per a report by the Associated Press.
James Comer, House Oversight Chair, launched an investigation into the Ukrainian president’s visit to the factory, as he was with Democratic leaders, including Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, who is a strong supporter of Harris. Mike Johnson, Republican House Speaker, wrote an open letter to Zelenskyy and termed this visit as an event for a ‘partisan campaign’ and an interference in the country’s upcoming elections. He called for Ukraine’s envoy Oksana Markarova in Washington to be dismissed instantly.