Former President Trump met Friday with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the two leaders sought to mend their sometimes rocky relationship.
Zelenskyy looked uncomfortable during a brief appearance in front of reporters ahead of the sit-down at Trump Tower, especially when the former president boasted of his cozy friendship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, the man who engineered the invasion of Zelenskyy’s country.
“We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship — as you know — with President Putin. And I think if we win, I think we’re going to get it resolved very quickly,” Trump said.
“I hope we have more good relations,” Zelensky interjected, stressing the “we.”
“Oh, I see,” Trump retorted with a smile. “But it takes two to tango, you know. And we’re going to have a good meeting today. And I think the fact that we’re even together today is a very good sign.”
There was no immediate word on any results from the meeting between the two leaders, their first in more than five years.
Trump has repeatedly refused to say that he hopes Ukraine, a strong ally of the U.S., will repel the Russian invasion and win the war, including at the recent presidential debate with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
Asked by a reporter on Friday if he believes Ukraine can win the war, Trump replied: “Sure. They could.”
Zelenskyy, who is in the U.S. to attend the United Nations General Assembly, earlier met with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. He also toured a Pennsylvania factory that makes ammunition for Ukraine’s embattled military.
Zelenskyy also appeared uncomfortable as Trump discussed his own 2019 impeachment for trying to bully Zelenskyy into dishing dirt on then-candidate Joe Biden.
The former president heaped praise on the Ukrainian leader for supposedly backing him during that fight, calling him a “piece of steel.”
But the Ukrainian leader actually said only that he didn’t want to get involved in internal American political disputes.
Trump, who called Putin “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine, has harshly criticized U.S. support for Ukraine and derided Zelenskyy as a “salesman” for persuading Washington to provide weapons and funding to his military as it tries to fend off Moscow.
His right-wing Republican allies regularly deride Zelenskyy as a corrupt puppet of Biden and regularly vote against any aid to the beleaguered nation.
Harris, on the other hand, has trumpeted her strong support for Ukraine and boasts she will stand up to Putin. She embraced Zelenskyy Thursday and denounced Trump’s demands on Ukraine as “not proposals for peace (but) surrender.”
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