Zelensky and Trump vow to end Ukraine war despite tensions

On Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump. Let us recall that the former US president has been saying from the beginning that if he wins the upcoming elections, he will quickly end the war.

"We’re going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled and get it worked out. It has to end. At some point, it has to end," Trump said, welcoming Zelensky at Trump Tower in New York. "He’s gone through hell. His country has gone through hell," he added.

Responding to why he decided to meet with the former president, Zelensky stated, "I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped, Putin can’t win, and Ukraine has to prevail." "I want to discuss the details about that with you, " the Ukrainian president added.

"We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And I think if we win, we’re going to get it resolved very quickly," Trump said during the meeting with the Ukrainian president. Zelensky replied: "I hope we have more good relations between us."

"We both want to see this end, and we both want to see a fair deal made," Trump assured after the meeting. He emphasized that everyone wants the war to end as soon as possible, while Zelensky - in his opinion - wants it to end justly. The Republican stressed that even Putin wants the war to end and that this is "a very good sign."

"The president wants it to end, and he wants it to end as quickly as possible. He wants a fair transaction to take place," Trump said, but again refused to disclose the details of his peace plan.

Zelensky, however, said that the war should not have started at all and added that pressure should be put on Vladimir Putin and peace should be ensured, especially for the families of the deceased. "We need to do everything to pressure him to stop this war. He is in our territory. That's most important to understand. He is in our territory," thundered the Ukrainian president.

The meeting between Trump and Zelensky took place after their planned talks were initially cancelled following a series of controversial gestures and statements from both sides.

Zelensky caused outrage among Trump and some Republicans with his interview with "The New Yorker," in which he criticised both Trump and his vice-presidential candidate, Senator JD Vance, whom he described as "too radical" due to his proposed plan to end the war in Ukraine by establishing a ceasefire along the current front lines.

Zelensky said that Trump doesn't know how to stop the war, even if he thinks he does. Zelensky's Sunday visit to an artillery ammunition factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, accompanied by Democratic politicians, state Governor Josh Shapiro, and Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, caused similar outrage.

In recent days, Trump has criticised Zelensky for not reaching a deal with Putin that would have prevented or ended the war. He mocked him as the "greatest salesman in history" due to the aid he received from the US. He claimed that he wanted a Democratic victory in the elections and accused him of "nasty little slanders" against him.