Reuters: No meeting set between Trump and Zelenskyy during UN visit yet

Trump accused Zelenskyy of wanting Democrats to win the 2024 election and criticized US aid to Ukraine, while Harris's campaign defends it. No Trump-Zelenskyy meeting is planned yet, per Reuters sources.

Sep 24, 2024 - 20:00
Reuters: No meeting set between Trump and Zelenskyy during UN visit yet

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Former US President Donald Trump criticized the US aid for Ukraine and claimed on 23 September 2024 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants the Democrats to win the 2024 US election, in which Republican Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate, as per Reuters.

Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and devastated Ukrainian towns and cities. Putin has stated that peace talks can only begin if Kyiv cedes parts of eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia and abandons NATO membership ambitions, while Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.

While Trump mentioned last week that he would “probably” meet with Zelenskyy during the Ukrainian president’s visit to the US for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, sources close to the former president told Reuters that no meeting has been set.

Speaking at a rally in western Pennsylvania, Trump criticized US aid to Ukraine despite the fact that most of the allocated funds have been spent within the US for military production, stating,

“I think Zelenskyy is the greatest salesman in history. Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with 60 billion dollars.” He added, “He wants them to win this election so badly, but I would do differently – I will work out peace.”

The Harris campaign responded to Trump’s remarks in an emailed statement, saying,

“Vice President Harris understands that if America walks away from Ukraine, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe and our NATO allies.”

Zelenskyy, who visited a weapons factory in Pennsylvania over the weekend alongside Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, stated on 23 September that decisive action by the United States now could hasten the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine next year.

Trump has consistently described US aid to Ukraine as a waste of money, and has not explicitly stated that he wants Ukraine to win the war. Instead, he claimed he would “end the war,” implying through his rhetoric that negotiations could result in Ukraine making concessions to Russia, though he has not directly stated this. He gave no details of his “peace” plan beyond saying he would call Putin and Zelenskyy to urge them to work out an accord if he wins the 5 November election.

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