Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his reportedly tense assembly with U.S. President Donald Trump final week was “constructive,” although he didn’t safe Tomahawk missiles for the struggle in opposition to Russia.
In feedback to journalists on Sunday and embargoed till Monday morning, Zelenskyy asserted that Trump reneged on the potential for sending the long-range missiles to Ukraine after talking by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin hours earlier than Friday’s assembly.
Trump on Friday known as on Kyiv and Moscow to “cease the place they’re” and finish the warfare.
“For my part, he doesn’t need an escalation with the Russians till he meets with them,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
Based on Zelenskyy, Trump mentioned throughout their assembly that Putin’s maximalist demand — that Ukraine cede the whole thing of its japanese Donetsk and Luhansk areas — was unchanged.
Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about Putin’s proposal to swap some territory it holds in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas if Ukraine surrenders Donetsk and Luhansk, saying the proposal was unclear.
Ukraine’s chief mentioned Trump finally supported a freeze alongside the present entrance line.
“We share President Trump’s constructive outlook if it results in the tip of the warfare,” Zelenskyy mentioned, citing “many rounds of debate over greater than two hours with him and his workforce.”
Zelenskyy was diplomatic about his assembly with Trump regardless of experiences that he confronted stress to just accept Putin’s calls for. The assembly adopted the disastrous Oval Workplace spat on Feb. 28 when the Ukrainian president was scolded on dwell tv for not being grateful for continued U.S. assist.
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In a while Monday, Trump instructed reporters that Ukraine might nonetheless win the warfare. “I don’t suppose they are going to. They may nonetheless win it. I by no means mentioned they might win it,” he mentioned. “Something can occur, you recognize warfare is a really unusual factor.”
Zelenskyy mentioned he hopes that Trump’s assembly within the coming weeks with Putin in Hungary — which doesn’t assist Ukraine — will pave the way in which for a peace deal. Their first summit of Trump’s present time period was in Alaska in August.
Zelenskyy mentioned he has not been invited to attend however would take into account it if the format for talks have been honest to Kyiv.
He additionally took a stab at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, saying he doesn’t consider {that a} prime minister “who blocks Ukraine in every single place can do something constructive for Ukrainians and even present a balanced contribution.”
Zelenskyy mentioned he thinks that every one events have “moved nearer” to a attainable finish to the warfare.
“That doesn’t imply it is going to positively finish, however President Trump has achieved so much within the Center East, and driving that wave he needs to finish Russia’s warfare in opposition to Ukraine,” he added.
Ukraine is hoping to buy 25 Patriot air protection programs from U.S. companies utilizing frozen Russian property and help from companions, however Zelenskyy mentioned procuring all would require time due to lengthy manufacturing waits. He mentioned he spoke to Trump about assist procuring them extra shortly, probably from European companions.
Zelenskyy mentioned america is focused on bilateral fuel initiatives with Ukraine, together with the development of an LNG terminal within the southern port metropolis of Odesa. Different initiatives of curiosity embrace these associated to nuclear power and oil.
Related Press author Aamer Mahdani contributed from Washington.
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