“We’re going to work very hard with both parties to try to settle this and get it worked out,” Trump said while standing beside Zelenskyy, addressing a small group of reporters ahead of their closed-door meeting. “At some point, this has to end. He’s gone through hell, and his country has gone through hell.”
Trump emphasized his strong relationships with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, “We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin.” Zelenskyy, in turn, expressed hope that their good relationship would continue.
“It takes two to tango, and we will,” Trump responded.
Trump also took the opportunity to revisit his 2019 impeachment, which stemmed from a controversial phone call with Zelenskyy in which he pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. The former president reiterated his long-standing claim that the impeachment was a “hoax,” asserting, “It was just a Democrat hoax, which we won.”
Standing beside Zelenskyy, Trump praised him as “like a piece of steel” and referenced Zelenskyy’s past remarks, claiming the Ukrainian president had publicly stated that Trump did nothing wrong during the infamous phone call. Trump added, “The impeachment hoax died right there.”
The meeting marked the first time the two leaders had met in person since Trump’s impeachment. They last met in September 2019, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Their latest meeting took place amidst rising concerns over Ukraine’s defense against Russia and debates in Congress over continued U.S. aid to the war-torn country. The outcome of the U.S. election could greatly influence the direction of the war and Ukraine’s future.