After the great frost, the meeting. Zelensky at Trump Tower

The heart of the two candidates’ presidential campaign has shifted to Ukraine. Yesterday Kamala Harris met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Today it was Donald Trump’s turn, who welcomed Zelensky at Trump Tower in Manhattan. “It’s an honor to have the president with us,” she told him, shaking his hand in front of the photographers.

In the recent past, the tycoon had defined his guest as a “salesman”, underlining how after each of his trips to the USA he had brought home billions of dollars in military aid. Zelensky responded coldly, claiming that the former president “didn’t really know what it takes to win the war.” But this time the tone was cordial. In brief statements made to the media before the meeting, the two expressed mutual respect. Zelensky called meeting Trump “very important.”

“We count a lot – he added – on American support, regardless of whoever wins the elections, which is why I met all the candidates”. The tycoon promised to “work hard to find an agreement between the parties”, then reiterated his “very good relationship with President Vladimir Putin”. Trump also recalled the 2019 phone call with Zelensky that became the subject of the then-US president’s first impeachment, and praised the Ukrainian leader for being “steely.”

Trump also said that Zelensky had claimed that he had done nothing wrong in that phone call, a sentence that was never actually uttered by his guest. The Ukrainian president declined to comment on the phone call. “We – declared Zelensky – have a common point of view: the war in Ukraine must be stopped”. He also reiterated the concept that he seeks a “just peace”, while Trump underlined how his goal is to obtain a “fair agreement for all”, but without giving indications on what he meant. The meeting lasted an hour. Zelensky invited Trump to Kiev. “I will come,” the former president replied.

Zelensky to Trump: “Putin cannot win”

“I had a very productive meeting with Donald Trump. I presented him with our Victory Plan and we carefully examined the situation in Ukraine and the consequences of the war for our people. Many details were discussed. I am grateful for this meeting. It is necessary a just peace. We share the common vision that the war in Ukraine must be stopped. Putin cannot win. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky writes this about the meeting with Trump