Donald Trump says he spoke with Zelensky, promised to ‘end the war’

Trump has repeatedly claimed he would end the war soon, but has given few details.

Washington:

Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said on Friday he had spoken by phone with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and pledged to end the European country’s war with Russia.

“I thank President Zelensky for reaching out because as your next President of the United States, I will bring peace to the world and end this war that has caused so much loss of life and destroyed countless innocent families,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Zelensky confirmed the call, adding: “We agreed to discuss with President Trump in a private meeting what measures would lead to a just and truly lasting peace.”

“I have noted the significant bipartisan and bicameral support in the United States for protecting our nation’s freedom and independence,” he said in a post on social media platform X.

If Trump wins the U.S. election in November, Washington’s continued support for Ukraine will be called into question as it enters its third year of war with Russian forces.

Trump, who formally accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, has repeatedly said he would soon end the war but has not said how.

Last week, the former president hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his Florida estate, and the latter met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.

Trump’s frequent praise of Putin and reluctance to publicly criticize Russia’s incursion have raised concerns among Ukraine’s allies that he will force Ukraine to accept a partial defeat.

He has also repeatedly suggested withdrawing from NATO. His running mate, JD Vance, leads the isolationist faction of congressional Republicans, who advocate that the United States should stop aid to Ukraine.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)