Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that the ongoing war with Russia would “end sooner” under Donald Trump’s leadership as the next US president.
Zelensky described his recent phone conversation with Trump, following his electoral victory, as a “constructive exchange.”
While he did not disclose whether Trump proposed specific terms regarding potential negotiations with Russia, Zelensky confirmed that nothing Trump said conflicted with Ukraine’s stance.
Trump has consistently emphasized his priority to bring an end to the conflict—which began in February 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine—and to address what he calls the strain on US resources caused by extensive military aid to Kyiv.
Earlier this year, the US House of Representatives approved a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine.
Since the war’s outbreak, the United States has remained Ukraine’s largest arms supplier. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research group, between February 2022 and the end of June 2024, the US delivered or committed $55.5 billion worth of military equipment.
However, domestic support for supplying weapons to Ukraine has somewhat diminished, particularly among Republican voters, a key constituency that Trump successfully engaged during his campaign.
Throughout the presidential race, Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war “in a day,” though he has yet to reveal the specifics of his plan.
“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, their promise to their citizens,” Zelensky told Suspilne, a Ukrainian media outlet.
He further stated that Ukraine “must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means,” even as Russian forces continue to push forward on the battlefield.
The conflict has seen little change along the front lines since Ukraine’s anticipated counter-offensive in 2023 failed to achieve the extensive territorial advances it aimed for.
Russian troops maintain fortified positions in the eastern and southeastern regions of Ukraine, with the most intense clashes occurring in the eastern Donbas area.
On Friday, Russian forces made small but notable advances along the eastern front, with heavy fighting reported near the northeastern city of Kupyansk and Vuhledar in the southeast, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank.
The ISW also noted that Russian infantry continued a “limited” push into Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region from the Russian border, citing Ukrainian military sources in the area.
In an effort to counter these advances, Ukrainian forces launched an offensive into Russia’s Kursk region over the summer, marking the first Ukrainian occupation of Russian territory since World War II.
{Matzav.com}