Kyiv expects a possible meeting between the newly elected US President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine considers building close relations with the government of the newly elected US President Donald Trump to be crucial. Kyiv said on Friday that it expects a possible meeting between him and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after Trump’s inauguration on January 20. TASR writes about it according to a Reuters report.
“We are waiting for the meeting of our presidents, because cooperation with America is very important for us… we are preparing for contacts at the highest level immediately after his inauguration,” announced the spokesman of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Heorhiy Tychy.
Trump confirmed on Friday that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the war in Ukraine is in the preparation stage. A few hours later, the Kremlin announced that Putin was open to joint talks.
In the past, Kyiv expressed disapproval of the contacts of representatives of Western countries with Putin. According to him, such steps legitimize the Russian leader and reduce his isolation. However, he did not directly object to a possible meeting between Trump and Putin.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he can quickly end the nearly three-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine. However, he never presented any concrete plan. Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in February 2022, Washington has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.
The US president-elect has appointed retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as his envoy for matters related to the conflict in Ukraine. Reuters reported earlier this week that Kellogg postponed his trip to Kyiv and other European cities until after Trump’s inauguration.
