By Former President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants the Democratic Party to win the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which Trump faces Vice President Kamala Harris.
Speaking at a rally in western Pennsylvania, Trump said, “I think Zelenskiy is the greatest salesman in history. Every time he comes into the country, he walks away with 60 billion dollars.” He added, “He wants them to win this election so badly, but I would do differently – I will work out peace.”
Trump’s comments contrast with the stance of some of his allies, who have argued that Ukraine would welcome Trump’s return to office, believing he could negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
The former president did not provide details of his peace plan beyond reiterating that he would call Putin and Zelenskiy to urge them to reach an accord if he wins the November 5 election.
In response, Harris’ campaign spokesperson, Morgan Finkelstein, criticized Trump for not explicitly stating he wants Ukraine to win the war. “Vice President Harris understands that if America walks away from Ukraine, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv with his eyes on the rest of Europe and our NATO allies,” Finkelstein said in an emailed statement.
Zelenskiy, currently in the U.S. for the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly, stated on Monday that decisive action by the United States could hasten the end of Russia’s war against Ukraine next year.
While Trump mentioned last week he would “probably” meet with Zelenskiy during his U.S. visit, no meeting has been scheduled, according to sources close to the former president.
The statements come as both campaigns vie for the support of Americans of Eastern European descent, particularly in battleground states like Pennsylvania with significant Polish and Ukrainian populations.
Trump has consistently criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine as wasteful and has declined to say he wants Ukraine to win the conflict. In contrast, the Biden-Harris administration has provided substantial military and financial support to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Zelenskiy has previously expressed uncertainty about Trump’s potential actions if elected but hoped the Republican would maintain U.S. military support for Ukraine. In a July BBC interview, Zelenskiy acknowledged that working with Trump would be “hard work, but we are hard workers.”
As the 2024 election approaches, the future of U.S. support for Ukraine remains a key point of contention between the two campaigns, with significant implications for the ongoing conflict and international relations.
