2024-07-10 19:20:52
Asked about the prospect of former US President Donald Trump being re-elected, the Ukrainian leader took a pragmatic approach: he ducked.
Zelensky, who is in Washington for the annual NATO summit, told an audience at the Ronald Reagan Institute that he has had good conversations with the former president in the past and is optimistic he will have them again if Trump returns to the White House.
“If the American people elect President Trump, I hope that his policy toward Ukraine will not change,” he told Fox host Bret Baier, who moderated the interview.
The answer likely hides deep concern — within the Ukrainian government and among its supporters — about the possible return of Trump, who has sought closer ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky acknowledged that his positive interactions with Trump took place before Putin launched the invasion and that the election had put a lot of pressure on Ukrainians, the Russian leader and others.
“Now everyone is waiting for November. Americans are waiting for November. In Europe, the Middle East, the Pacific, the whole world is waiting for November, he said, referring to the US presidential election in November. – And, to be honest, V. Putin is waiting for November.”
He also said that action must be taken now to resist the Russian invasion: “It is time to come out of the shadows and make decisive decisions to act, not wait until November.”
Trump said he could end the war on his first day in office and threatened to cut aid to Ukraine. And while advisers and allies have begun to announce in opinion columns and magazine pages that the new administration will continue to support Kiev, fears have not subsided that Mr. Trump may retaliate against Ukraine for what he sees as a contribution to his past political problems.
These concerns overshadowed a NATO meeting a few blocks away. NATO leaders have rushed to “Trump-proof” key security initiatives and protect them from the political maneuvering they expect to happen during a second Trump presidency. European leaders have also adjusted their announcements about aid to Ukraine and the NATO alliance, hoping to please the former president.
Trump and his allies, for their part, insist that the fears are exaggerated and stem from an unwarranted animosity toward the former president. D. Trump promised to continue the participation of the US in NATO activities if the member states meet the defense spending targets and continue to contribute to the defense of Ukraine.
Zelenskiy spoke to a well-received audience, which included US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a longtime supporter of aid to Ukraine, who delivered opening remarks.
Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Michael Turner, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, also attended. Both men have been vocal supporters of aid to Kiev, which continues to fend off a third year of full-scale Russian invasion, and have pressed the White House to ease restrictions on the use of American-made weaponry against targets on Russian soil.
Before V. Zelensky’s speech, M. McConnell himself seemed to contrast the two ideological poles of his party, recalling R. Reagan’s support for anti-communist movements and the fight against Soviet aggression, notes “Politico”.
“It’s no secret where he would have stood when a proud nation gave him its sons and daughters to defeat Soviet imperialism, asking only that America and the West watch its back,” M. McConnell was quoted as saying. “He understood that supporting their democratic aspirations was not a matter of charity.”
Parenthetical phrase “Politician” inf.
2024-07-10 19:20:52