Trump says he spoke with Zelensky, promised to “end the war”

Trump meets with Orban

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

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 hinted at withdrawing from NATO and even said he would encourage Russia to attack any member state that fails to fulfill its financial obligations, thereby undermining NATO’s collective defense guarantee.

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, leads an isolationist faction of congressional Republicans who believe U.S. aid to Ukraine should be halted.

Vance was one of the most vocal opponents of approving $61 billion in new military aid to Ukraine, a package that was blocked by Republican lawmakers earlier this year as Russia made gains on the battlefield.

Trump told the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday that he would end the raging international crisis and said he could “stop a war with one phone call.”

Trump said: “I will end every international crisis created by this administration, including the horrible wars with Russia and Ukraine,” but he did not elaborate on how.

Zelenskiy said earlier this week that he would “work together” with Trump if a Republican took the White House.

“I’m not worried about that,” he told a news conference.

Zelenskiy declined to say whether he was concerned about U.S. President Joe Biden, who is facing calls to abandon his re-election bid following a poor debate performance and questions about his health and mental acuity.

However, he acknowledged that the “turbulence” of the US election cycle had a “significant impact” on his country.

It is well known that Trump’s relationship with Zelensky dates back to his time in the White House.

In 2019, Trump was impeached for withholding military aid to Ukraine, and he pressured Zelensky to help him dig up dirt on his election rival Biden – ultimately, Trump lost the 2020 election.