Zelensky says war will 'end sooner' with Trump as president

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that the war with Russia will "end sooner" under a future Trump administration, following a "constructive exchange" between the two leaders after the US presidential election. Zelensky did not elaborate on whether Trump made any specific demands about negotiations with Russia, but noted that he hadn’t heard anything contradictory to Ukraine’s position.

Trump, who has emphasized his goal to end the war and reduce US military aid to Ukraine, has consistently stated that resolving the conflict will be a priority if he returns to office. In response to this, Zelensky suggested that under Trump’s policies, the war could come to a close more swiftly, adding that Ukraine must strive to end the conflict diplomatically by next year.

Despite the current battlefield challenges and Russian advances, Zelensky emphasized the importance of diplomatic efforts. The US has been Ukraine’s largest arms supplier, providing substantial military aid, with deliveries totaling $55.5 billion from February 2022 to June 2024.

Zelensky and Trump’s relationship has been complex, particularly after Trump’s impeachment in 2019, which stemmed from accusations of pressuring Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden’s family. Despite this, Trump has maintained that he has a strong relationship with the Ukrainian president and, after a meeting in September, claimed he could end the war “very quickly.”

During the election campaign, Trump pledged to resolve the war in a day but did not outline how he would achieve this. Critics, particularly from the Democratic side, have accused Trump of being too sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin and argued that his approach could lead to a surrender for Ukraine, endangering Europe’s security.

However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke with Trump after his electoral victory, noted that the incoming US president had a "more nuanced" stance on the war than often portrayed, describing their conversation as detailed and productive. Scholz’s recent phone call with Putin, the first in nearly two years, sparked criticism from Zelensky, who argued that it undermined Putin’s international isolation.