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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed confidence that the war with Russia would “end sooner” under former US President Donald Trump’s leadership.
Zelensky made this remark following a phone conversation he had with Trump after his victory in the 2024 US presidential election.
In an interview with Ukrainian media, Zelensky described his exchange with Trump as “constructive” but did not reveal if Trump had made any specific demands regarding peace talks with Russia.
However, Zelensky emphasized that Trump did not voice anything contrary to Ukraine’s stance on the war.
Trump, who has been a vocal critic of the ongoing conflict, has repeatedly said that his top priority is to bring an end to the war, which began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He has also voiced concerns over the heavy financial burden the war has placed on the United States, particularly in the form of military aid to Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the US House of Representatives approved a massive $61 billion military aid package to Ukraine, making the US the largest supplier of weapons and military support to Kyiv.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the US had committed over $55 billion worth of arms and equipment to Ukraine by mid-2024.
However, support for continuing to arm Ukraine seems to be waning domestically, especially among Republican voters, many of whom have been courted by Trump. During his campaign, Trump promised to end the war “in a day,” although he has yet to clarify how he plans to achieve this.
Zelensky, speaking to the Ukrainian outlet Suspilne, said: “It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House.
This is their approach and their promise to their citizens.” He added that Ukraine would do everything in its power to bring the war to a close by next year, ideally through diplomatic negotiations, despite Russian advances on the battlefield.
The front lines of the war have largely stagnated since Ukraine’s much-anticipated counter-offensive in 2023, which failed to achieve the rapid territorial gains it had hoped for.
Russian forces maintain entrenched positions in the eastern and southeastern regions of Ukraine, particularly in the Donbas area.
Recently, Russian troops made small gains along the eastern front line, with fierce battles taking place near the cities of Kupyansk and Vuhledar.
In an attempt to counter Russian advances, Ukrainian forces launched a bold offensive into Russia’s Kursk region earlier this summer, becoming the first to occupy Russian territory since World War II.
While the move was seen as a way to distract Russian troops, it is unclear whether it has had the desired effect. Ukraine’s military, smaller in size than Russia’s, has relied heavily on advanced Western weaponry to bolster its defense.
Analysts believe that the territory Ukraine has gained in Kursk could serve as a potential bargaining chip in any future peace talks.
Zelensky has repeatedly refused to give up any Ukrainian land, including Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014.
As the war drags on, concerns over fatigue, both within Ukraine and internationally, are growing. While Zelensky has expressed a preference for a diplomatic solution, the specifics of what such a solution would look like remain unclear.
He has made it clear, however, that Ukraine will not concede any territory to Russia.
Despite a turbulent relationship between Zelensky and Trump, the two leaders have maintained a level of communication.
Trump’s impeachment in 2019 stemmed from accusations that he pressured Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, in exchange for military aid.
Yet, Trump has always insisted that he has a good rapport with Zelensky, and during a meeting in New York this past September, Trump claimed he had learned a lot from the Ukrainian president and vowed to quickly resolve the war.
Trump’s Democratic rivals have criticized him for allegedly being too sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming that his approach to the war could ultimately lead to a surrender by Ukraine, which they argue would destabilize Europe.
Meanwhile, reports emerged this week that Russia denied any claim that Putin and Trump had spoken following the latter’s election victory.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who also spoke to Trump after the election, described the incoming US president’s position on the war as more “nuanced” than many had expected.
Scholz also faced criticism from Zelensky after he held a phone call with Putin earlier this week, the first in nearly two years. Zelensky argued that the call undermined Putin’s isolation on the world stage.
