Askume, Sept 27 – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday after he previously criticised the United States during the campaign and expressed doubts about whether the United States could win a war with its ally Russia.
Trump said on Thursday they would meet at 9:45 a.m. (1345 GMT) at Trump Tower in Manhattan. Although Trump and Zelensky spoke by phone in July, this will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump’s 2017-2021 term.
Zelensky, who is in the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, met with Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday.She is the Democratic presidential nominee in the November 5 election .
While the Ukrainian leader was in Washington, Biden announced a new military aid package worth more than $8 billion and Harris spoke out against Kiev.It reiterated its support and indirectly took aim at Trump, accusing him of failing to stand up for his Eastern European allies.
Before leaving Kyiv, Zelenskyy stated his intention to present Biden, Harris and Trump with a “winning plan” to defeat Russia . But his undisclosed goals on Friday could include improving relations with Trump, who has at times been critical of Zelenskyy.
Over the weekend, Zelensky visited a Pennsylvania ammunition factory with Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, a key ally of Harris. The visit has unsettled the Trump campaign and angered some congressional Republicans who see it as a stymieing of the campaign, especially since Pennsylvania is a key battleground state that could decide the US election.
Trump has stepped up his criticism of Zelensky in recent days . He said on Monday that Zelensky wanted Harris to win the election and on Wednesday he called the Eastern European country “dead” and “destroyed.”
Overall, Trump has refused to say he wants Ukraine to win a war with Russia and has described US aid to Ukraine as a waste of money.
Also on Thursday, people close to Trump and his campaign said the meeting was highly unlikely , even if the former president changed his mind during Zelensky’s stay.
Past campaigns have included meetings between presidential candidates and foreign leaders. In 2016, Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton met with the leaders of Egypt, Japan and Ukraine on the sidelines of that year’s United Nations General Assembly.
But such meetings remain sensitive because the law limits what candidates can say or discuss at such meetings.
The Logan Act of 1799 allowed Americans outside the government to meet with foreign officials, but it also limited their ability to negotiate American disputes.
