Trump says he spoke to Zelensky and pledges to ‘end the war’

TRUMP-ORBAN MEETING

Trump has repeatedly said he would end the war very quickly, without offering details on how.

Last week, the former president hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, at his Florida estate.

Trump’s frequent praise of Putin and his reluctance to openly criticize the Russian invasion have raised fears among Ukraine’s allies that Trump would force the country to accept partial defeat.

He has also repeatedly suggested walking away from NATO, even undermining the alliance’s collective defence guarantee by saying it would encourage Russia to attack any member that has failed to meet its financial obligations.

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, leads the isolationist wing of congressional Republicans who argue that the US should stop aiding Ukraine.

Vance was one of the fiercest opponents of the approval of $61 billion in new military aid for Ukraine, which was stalled by Republican lawmakers for months earlier this year as Russia made gains on the battlefield.

Trump said Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee that he would end current international crises and could “stop wars with a phone call.”

“I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said, without elaborating on how.

Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he and Trump would “work together” if the Republican won the White House.

“I’m not worried about this,” he said at a news conference.

Zelenskyy declined to say whether he was concerned about U.S. President Joe Biden, who is facing calls to abandon his re-election campaign following a disastrous debate performance and questions about his health and mental acuity.

However, he acknowledged that the “turbulence” during the US election cycle was having a “big impact” on his country.

Trump’s relationship with Zelensky dates back to his time in the White House.

In 2019, Trump was impeached for withholding military aid to Ukraine while pressuring Zelensky to help him dig up dirt on his election rival Biden, a race he later lost in 2020.