Trump and Zelenskyy set for high-stakes meeting amid rising tensions

Former President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as tensions have escalated between the two leaders over Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion. Trump claimed that Zelenskyy requested the meeting, which is scheduled for 9:45 am Eastern Time at Trump Tower in New York. This meeting comes shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's Democratic opponent, met with Zelenskyy and reaffirmed her support for Ukraine.

"I look forward to seeing him tomorrow," Trump stated during a press conference on Thursday. "I believe I will be able to make a deal between President (Vladimir) Putin and President Zelenskyy, quite quickly," reported news agency Associated Press (AP).

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine in a steep escalation of the Russia-Ukrainian War.

This meeting is particularly significant as Election Day approaches, with Trump and Harris adopting sharply different stances on U.S. support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. Trump has claimed that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if he were still in office and has labelled Zelenskyy a “salesman” for seeking US aid. Recently, Trump has praised Russia’s historical military achievements and argued that the U.S. needs to withdraw from involvement in Ukraine.

Despite the anticipation surrounding Friday's meeting, scheduling it was not straightforward. Zelenskyy’s office indicated that a meeting was planned during the Ukrainian leader's visit to the UN General Assembly, where he aims to garner support from allies.

In a recent interview with The New Yorker, Zelenskyy suggested that Trump does not fully grasp the complexities of the conflict, noting that Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, had advocated for Ukraine to “make a sacrifice” by conceding territory. Trump has criticised Zelenskyy and Ukraine on multiple occasions this week. While speaking in North Carolina, he described Ukraine as “demolished” and its people as “dead.”

“Any deal — the worst deal — would’ve been better than what we have now,” Trump remarked. “If they made a bad deal it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.”

In contrast, Harris stood alongside Zelenskyy on Thursday and criticised Trump’s stance, stating that his calls for a quick resolution to the war were “not proposals for peace,” but rather “proposals for surrender.” Trump responded, asserting that he is not advocating surrender.

While Trump and Vance have historically been sceptical of US aid to Ukraine, some of Trump’s Republican allies support Kyiv's fight against Russian aggression, arguing that backing Ukraine is crucial for U.S. interests. One such ally, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, attended a closed-door meeting with Zelenskyy on Capitol Hill. Graham mentioned that he had discussed Zelenskyy with Trump, according to an anonymous source familiar with the meeting.

Graham, who has had a fluctuating relationship with Trump, offered to speak with Zelenskyy about his conversations with the former president after the meeting concluded. He did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.