Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his intention to engage directly with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, highlighting his willingness to consider Trump’s ideas for ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been ongoing since February 2022.
In an interview with Sky News on Friday, Zelenskyy said, “Of course we will work with Trump. I want to work with him directly.” His remarks underscore Ukraine’s strategic interest in maintaining strong ties with the United States, a critical ally in its fight against Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of direct communication with Trump, stating, “I want to work with him directly because there are different voices from people around him. And that’s why we need not to [allow] anybody around to destroy our communication. It will be not helpful and will be destructive. We have to try to find a new model. I want to share with him ideas and I want to hear from him.”
The United States, under the Biden administration, has been the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, contributing $64.1 billion to the war effort since the Russian invasion, according to the U.S. Department of State. Zelenskyy’s overtures to Trump reflect Kyiv’s awareness of the pivotal role U.S. support plays in the conflict and the need to secure Trump’s cooperation ahead of his inauguration in January 2025.
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In comments reported by CNN, Zelenskyy reiterated his desire to work closely with Trump, stating, “I want to share with him ideas and I want to hear from him his ideas.” He also stressed the critical role the United States would play in achieving a resolution, saying, “I want him to succeed because the United States will play one of the crucial roles in ending the war.”
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Addressing the prospect of a ceasefire, Zelenskyy suggested that NATO membership should be extended to Ukraine for territories not under Russian occupation, calling it a potential pathway to ending the “hot phase of the war”.
