A transcript of the call revealed that President Trump urged Zelensky to investigate Biden and Biden’s son.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Trump has frequently repeated Moscow’s talking points about the war. At a presidential debate in September, he dodged a question about whether he wanted Ukraine to win the conflict.
In announcing the meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Trump reiterated his long-standing claim that he would be able to get a deal done “very quickly” between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy.
However, former President Lee refused to reveal specific plans. He also declined to elaborate when asked whether he thought Ukraine should cede territory to Russia as a means to end the war.
“It’s a shame what’s happening in Ukraine. There are too many deaths, too much destruction. It’s terrible,” Trump told reporters in New York on Thursday.
Friday’s meeting comes amid tensions between Zelensky and Republicans ahead of the US presidential election in November.
Some Republicans were outraged that Zelensky visited a weapons factory in Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, earlier this week along with senior Democrats, including Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Zelensky’s trip to key swing states has been labeled a partisan campaign event by leading Republicans. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote in an open letter that the visit was “designed to help the Democratic Party” and claimed it amounted to “election interference.”
Trump has become increasingly critical of America’s continued funding of Ukraine and recently stepped up his attacks on Zelenskyy, calling him “the best salesman on the planet.”
By contrast, Zelensky recently told The New Yorker magazine that he believes President Trump “really doesn’t know how to stop war.”
When asked about Zelenskyy’s comments on Thursday, Trump responded, “I believe I disagree with him. He doesn’t know me.”
