Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck an optimistic tone during a televised interview on Thursday, saying he believed President-elect Donald Trump could be “decisive” in ending the war as Kiev faces a third wave of Russia’s aggression. Celebrating anniversary.
“Trump can be decisive. That’s the most important thing for us,” Zelensky said, Reuters reported. “His qualities are really present.
“He can be decisive in this war. He is capable of stopping.” [Russian President Vladimir] Putin or, to put it more objectively, help us stop Putin,” he said, adding, “He is capable of doing that.”
Then-former President Donald Trump, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower in New York City on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demri Nikhinson)
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Zelensky said Trump assured him that Kiev would be one of his first presidential visits after his inauguration later this month as Ukraine seeks to stabilize the front line.
Halting the Russian advance early in the new year is a top priority for Zelensky, who also reportedly claimed Putin feared talks would be held because the Kremlin chief would equate it to a Russian defeat.
Despite almost three full years of war, Russia has been unable to achieve not only its initial war goals, but also Putin’s revised plans that he announced last year when he said that Their main goal now is to capture all of Donbass – the eastern region. Ukraine includes most of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
However, it is not only Putin who views potential peace talks with obvious trepidation.
Zelensky has said he welcomes peace talks, but has also made it clear that any talks on ending the war would only be accepted if Ukraine were given certain security guarantees – such as the possibility of joining NATO.
During a farewell ceremony in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, November 27, fellow soldiers carry the coffin of Petro Veliky, 48, a leading actor of the Music and Drama Theatre, who died in battle with Russian troops in the Kursk region of Russia Were. 2024. (AP Photo/Dan Bashakov)
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“Naturally, any security guarantee without the United States is a weak security guarantee for Ukraine,” he said, although he added that Washington should take into account Kiev’s future security.
“It could not be otherwise,” he said. “We are Ukraine, and this is our freedom, our land and our future.”
Putin, on the other hand, has said he would not accept any ceasefire talks that do not include a guarantee to prevent Kyiv from joining the 32-member body, which says under Article 5 of the alliance treaty that one member The attack will begin. An attack by all NATO countries and if Moscow once again targets Ukraine it will effectively ensure a joint attack on Moscow.
A soldier of the 24th Mechanized Brigade, named after King Danilo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, near the city of Chasiv Yar, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, 2s5 “Hyacinth-S” self towards Russian troops on the front line Fires a self-propelled howitzer. On November 18, 2024 in Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Oleg Petrasyuk/Press Service of the 24th Tsar Danilo Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via Reuters)
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Zelensky, who has led the country since 2019, was also asked if he would consider running for president again.
The Ukrainian President reiterated that under the country’s current constitution the country cannot hold elections in a state of war, but said he could consider it once the conflict ends.
“I don’t know how this war will end,” he said. “If I could do more than I can, I would probably decide to [seeking re-election] More positively. At the moment, it serves no purpose for me.”
Fox News Digital could not immediately reach the Trump transition team for comment.
