By New York Post (Politics) | Created at 2024-09-27 15:48:29 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:19:42
2 days ago
Former President Donald Trump applauded Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, praising the Ukrainian president for their “very good relationship” — just days after the Republican nominee accused Zelensky during a campaign rally of making “nasty little aspersions.”
“We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin. And I think if we win, I think we’re going to get it resolved very quickly,” Trump told reporters in Trump Tower of Russia’s 31-month-old invasion of Ukraine.
Zelensky then cut in to say: “I hope we have more good relations between us.”
Trump, 78, also thanked Zelensky, 46, for his support during the 45th president’s first impeachment trial, when the Kyiv leader denied Trump was pressuring Ukraine to investigate then-candidate Joe Biden in exchange for aid during a 2019 phone call.
“He said President Trump did nothing wrong,” Trump recalled, and “the impeachment hoax died right there.”
“He was like a piece of steel.”
“I remember that he could have played cute, and he didn’t play cute. So I appreciate that,” Trump went on.
Trump and Zelensky met one day after the Ukrainian leader sat down with both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington.
Zelensky had angered Republicans after going to Pennsylvania over the weekend with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, with the House Oversight Committee announcing it would investigate whether the trip constituted unlawful election interference.
Amid the tensions, Trump said Wednesday at a campaign stop in North Carolina that Zelensky was making “nasty little aspersions” toward him.
The former commander-in-chief also blamed Biden and Harris for continuing to fund Ukraine’s war against Russia, and accused Zelensky of refusing to parley with Putin.
“And we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refuses to make a deal — Zelensky,” Trump said at the time.
On Friday, Trump reiterated that he wants to bring the conflict to an end.
“We’re going to work very much with both parties to try and get this settled,” he said, claiming he could negotiate a piece deal even before he gets inaugurated Jan. 20.
Zelensky said he was looking forward to speaking with Trump and that he wanted to have meetings with both 2024 candidates and present Ukraine’s plan to win the war ahead of the Nov. 5 US election.
