NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Ukrainian President met face-to-face with Friday with public tensions rising between the two over Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion.
鈥淚 think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and Putin can鈥檛 win,鈥� Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After arriving together at a conference room on Friday, Trump said 鈥渢he fact that we鈥檙e even together today is a very good sign.鈥�
The meeting came at a critical time in the Russia-Ukraine war as Election Day nears in the U.S. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, have taken sharply different approaches to Ukraine.
Trump has for months criticized U.S. support for Ukraine and derided Zelenskyy as a 鈥渟alesman鈥� for persuading Washington to provide weapons and funding to his military as it tries to fend off Moscow. On Friday, however, Trump brought up his first impeachment in 2019, which Democrats in Congress pursued after he asked Zelenskyy for a 鈥渇avor鈥� 鈥� that he investigate Joe Biden, now the president, and Biden鈥檚 son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.
At the time Trump asked for the 鈥渇avor,鈥� he was withholding $400 million in military aid to Ukraine as it fought Russian-backed separatists on its eastern boundary.
鈥淗e could have grandstanded and played cute,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd he didn't do that. He said, 鈥楶resident Trump did absolutely nothing wrong.鈥� He said it loud and clear.鈥�
Zelenskyy in October 2019, as Congress was launching its impeachment inquiry, that there was 鈥渘o blackmail鈥� from Trump. He also told reporters, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to interfere in any way in the elections,鈥� trying to publicly and privately distance himself then from U.S. domestic politics.
Friday's meeting almost wasn't scheduled despite Zelenskyy鈥檚 office saying something had been planned during the Ukrainian leader鈥檚 visit to the U.N. General Assembly, during which he is making his endgame pitch to allies.
In an interview with The New Yorker that was published earlier this week, Zelenskyy implied Trump does not understand and oversimplifies the conflict. The Ukrainian leader said Trump's running mate JD Vance was 鈥渢oo radical鈥� and has essentially advocated for Ukraine to 鈥渕ake a sacrifice鈥� by 鈥済iving up its territories.鈥�
Trump ripped Zelenskyy and Ukraine on two separate occasions this week. Speaking Wednesday in North Carolina, he to Ukraine as 鈥渄emolished鈥� and its people as 鈥渄ead.鈥�
鈥淎ny deal 鈥� the worst deal 鈥� would鈥檝e been better than what we have now,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚f they made a bad deal it would鈥檝e been much better. They would鈥檝e given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be aging for another 2,000 years.鈥�
Meanwhile, Harris on Thursday stood alongside Zelenskyy and said Trump's push for Ukraine to quickly cut a deal to end the war was 鈥渘ot proposals for peace,鈥� but 鈥減roposals for surrender.鈥� Trump on Thursday said he was not advocating for a surrender.
As he was preparing to sit down for the Friday meeting, Trump was asked by a reporter if Ukraine could win the war and he replied, 鈥淪ure. They could.鈥�
He said of Zelenskyy: "We have a very good relationship. And I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And if we win, I think we鈥檙e going to get it resolved very quickly.鈥�
Zelenskyy cut into Trump's remarks with, 鈥淚 hope we have more good relations between us."
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Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Mascaro from Washington.
Michelle L. Price, Adriana Gomez Licon And Lisa Mascaro, The Associated Press
