Ukrainian President Zelensky has expressed that Ukraine must do everything possible to ensure the war with Russia ends next year through diplomatic means. He mentioned having a “constructive conversation” with President-elect Trump after his victory in the US election, believing that under Trump’s leadership, the war will come to a quicker conclusion.
It was not revealed whether Trump made any requests regarding potential talks with Russia, but Zelensky stated he did not hear anything contradictory to Ukraine’s position from Trump.
During his campaign, Trump consistently emphasized his top priority of ending the war and halting the practice of using military aid to Ukraine, which has been draining US resources.
Zelensky stated in an interview broadcasted on Ukrainian radio on Saturday, “From our side, we must make every effort to end this war next year, ending it through diplomatic means.”
The Ukrainian President also indicated that the war may end “faster” under Trump’s leadership.
Zelensky mentioned that US law prohibits him from meeting with the President-elect before Trump’s inauguration on January 20th next year.
“We will do everything in our power to ensure the meeting. We had a very good meeting in September,” Zelensky said, adding that he would speak directly with Trump and not through any envoy or advisor.
Throughout his campaign, Trump often stated that he would swiftly end the conflict but did not disclose specific details.
Following the US election, Russian President Putin congratulated Trump on his victory, expressing that Trump’s hopes of restoring relations with Russia and helping resolve the Ukrainian crisis are worth paying attention to.
The Russian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva stated on Thursday (November 14th) that if Trump initiates negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia would approach them with an open attitude. However, he noted that these negotiations must acknowledge the “on-ground realities.”
The crux of the Russia-Ukraine negotiation deadlock has been Russia’s demand for Ukraine to relinquish control of four Ukrainian territories partially occupied by Russian forces, claiming full sovereignty over these areas.
Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that only by expelling all Russian forces and restoring all occupied territories, including Crimea, can peace be established. However, his “Victory Plan” proposed last month did not mention restoring Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders from 1991.
Zelensky acknowledged the extremely challenging battlefield situation as Russian forces continue to advance.
Democrats have criticized Trump for his good relations with Russian President Putin, suggesting his approach to the war is akin to allowing Ukraine to surrender, posing a threat to all of Europe. Trump, on the other hand, insists that his relationships with Zelensky and Putin are good and that the Russia-Ukraine war issue will be resolved promptly.
After the US election, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Trump and informed German media that Trump’s stance on the war issue is “more nuanced” than commonly believed.
Scholz told Süddeutsche Zeitung that his conversation with Trump was unexpectedly detailed and constructive.
Scholz also had a call with Russian President Putin on Friday. This marked the first public announcement of dialogue between Russia and major Western leaders in almost two years. Scholz’s office stated that he urged Putin to approach negotiations with Ukraine in an open manner.
(This article references reports from Reuters and the BBC.)