Former US President Donald Trump reportedly said he will meet Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. The announcement came soon after US Vice President Kamala Harris and the Ukrainian President made a joint appearance in Washington.
In a viral video, Trump could be heard saying that he will meet Zelenskyy around 9:45 am EDT at Trump Tower. “As you know, President Zelensky has asked to meet with me, and I will be meeting with him tomorrow morning at around 9:45 in Trump Tower,” the former US president told reporters.
Zelenskyy had earlier met with US President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday in Washington amid the raging Ukraine-Russia war.
Notably, Harris and Trump are running for the President's post in the upcoming US elections. While Harris is a Democrat candidate, Trump is a Republican candidate.
In a post on X on Friday, Biden said, “Today, President Zelenskyy and I sat down again to discuss strengthening Ukraine's position on the battlefield and helping Ukraine rebuild stronger than before. Two things are clear: Ukraine will win this war. And the US will continue to stand by them every step of the way.”
Biden said the US will provide Ukraine with the support it needs to win this war. He announced a "surge in assistance to help Ukraine win this war." He said, "We've also announced actions that'll enhance Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses, and counter Russian sanctions evasion and money laundering."
"And next month, I'll convene a meeting of the leaders of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to coordinate the efforts of the more than 50 countries supporting Ukraine in its defense," the US President added.
Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X to inform that during his meeting with President Joe Biden, he "presented the Victory Plan to him" and Kamala Harris.
"We discussed details to strengthen the Plan, coordinated our positions, views, and approaches, and tasked our teams with holding consultations on the next steps. We deeply appreciate that Ukraine and the United States have stood side by side since the very beginning of the Russian invasion. Your determination is incredibly important for us to prevail," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Besides, Kamala Harris on Thursday slammed suggestions that Kyiv should cede territory for the sake of peace with Moscow as “dangerous and unacceptable.”
“They are not proposals for peace,” Harris said. “Instead they are proposals for surrender," she added.
Trump, for his part, has criticized US assistance for Ukraine, praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and faulted Zelenskyy for the ongoing bloodshed. Asked if Ukraine should give up territory, Trump said “we'll see what happens” and “we need peace.”
Trump said he will meet with Zelenskyy in New York on Friday after days of questions over whether the two leaders will sit down together. He rejected Harris' criticisms and insisted that he only wants to stop the “horror show that's gone on.”
(With inputs from agencies)
