Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower in New York on Friday.
The meeting, set for 09:45 ET (14:45 BST), comes after Zelensky’s visit with US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris at the White House, according to BBC.
Zelensky and Biden discussed Ukraine’s “victory plan” aimed at pressuring Russia into a diplomatic end to the ongoing conflict.
The meeting also followed Biden’s announcement of an additional $7.9 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
Trump expressed confidence in brokering a peace deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky.
“I believe I can make a deal quite quickly,” Trump stated, declining to provide further details.
The meeting takes place amidst tension between Zelensky and the Republican party.
Some Republicans criticized Zelensky’s recent visit to an arms factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania, labeling it a partisan campaign event.
Trump and Zelensky have a complicated history, marked by Trump’s 2019 impeachment over allegations of pressuring Zelensky to investigate Biden.
Zelensky recently stated that Trump “doesn’t really know how to stop the war.” Trump responded, “I do believe I disagree with him. He doesn’t know me.”
The meeting’s outcome is highly anticipated, given the complex dynamics at play. The US presidential election is nearing, and Ukraine’s conflict with Russia remains a pressing global issue.
