Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded that former U.S. President Donald Trump immediately present a concrete plan to end the Ukraine war if he has one.
“If Trump knows how to end this war, he should tell us today,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. He emphasized that he needed to prepare and know if it would affect Ukraine’s independence or sovereignty. Zelenskyy clarified that no one else should determine the “lives of me, our people, and our children.”
Zelenskyy stressed the need to understand the U.S.’s position and has stated that he is willing to meet with Trump to determine whether Ukraine will receive strong support from the U.S. in November or be left to fend for itself.
Last Thursday, Trump said in a TV debate with President Joe Biden that he would end the war as president-elect before his inauguration on January 20th if he is elected. However, he did not reveal a specific plan. At the time of the debate, there was a growing sense of crisis within the Democratic Party, including discussions about replacing the candidate, as 81-year-old Biden suffered a “debate disaster” against Trump. Zelenskyy’s concerns about the outcome are increasing as the U.S. election approaches.
Last month, Zelenskyy criticized Donald Trump, stating that Trump would be a “loser president” if he imposed an unfair peace agreement on Ukraine. Since last year, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the war in Ukraine would not have occurred if he were still president and that he could end it within 24 hours if re-elected. Zelenskyy invited Trump to Ukraine, urging him to “Come and see the battlefield for yourself.” Trump, however, did not respond to the invitation.
Ukraine signed a bilateral security agreement with the U.S. last month for a term of 10 years, but there is a possibility that it could be voided if Trump returns to power. Zelenskyy highly praised the $61 billion support package that passed the U.S. Congress last April but pointed out that the biggest tragedy with the war is the long delay from decision to execution. He also expressed his refusal to consider a ceasefire to accelerate peace negotiations in response to a proposal made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban the previous day. Zelenskyy mentioned that China, heavily reliant on Russian exports, could play a “huge role” in resolving the conflict and suggested that if the U.S. and China put aside their differences, they could work towards a ceasefire.
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