Trump says he spoke to Zelensky, vows to ‘end the war’

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Friday that he had spoken by phone with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and that he had promised to end the European country’s war with Russia.

“I am grateful to President Zelensky for reaching out to me. As your next President of the United States, I will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives and devastated countless innocent families,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“Both sides can come together and reach an agreement that will end the violence and pave the way for prosperity.”

The United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Kiev since Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But a Trump victory in the November election would raise doubts about Washington’s continued support.

Zelensky confirmed the phone call, in which he congratulated Trump on his official nomination as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate and wished the 78-year-old much strength after the attempt on his life a week ago.

“We have agreed with President Trump to discuss in a personal meeting what steps we can take to make peace fair and truly sustainable,” Zelensky said in a message on X.

“I have found that the American government, both at the Democratic and Democratic levels, has strong support for protecting the freedom and independence of our country,” he said.

– Trump-Orban meeting –

Trump has repeatedly claimed he would end the war very quickly, but he has given no 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 for Putin and his reluctance to openly criticize the Russian invasion have raised concerns among Ukraine’s allies that he would force the country to accept partial defeat.

He has also repeatedly proposed withdrawing from NATO and has even undermined the alliance’s collective defense guarantee, saying he would encourage Russia to attack any members that fail to meet their financial obligations.

Trump’s running mate JD Vance leads the isolationist wing of Republicans in Congress, who argue that the United States should cut off aid to Ukraine.

Vance was one of the most vocal opponents of the approval of $61 billion in new military aid for Ukraine, which was blocked for months by Republican lawmakers earlier this year, just as Russia was making gains.

Trump told the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee on Thursday that he would end the raging international crises, saying he could “stop wars with a phone call.”

“I will end every international crisis the current administration has created, including the terrible war with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said, without explaining how.

Zelensky 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.

Zelensky declined to say whether he was concerned about US President Joe Biden, who has faced calls to abandon his re-election campaign after a disastrous debate performance and questions about his health and mental acuity.

However, he did acknowledge that the “turbulence” during the US election cycle had a “major 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 from Ukraine while pressuring Zelensky to help him dig up dirt on his election rival Biden, a race he lost in 2020.

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