While President Trump has met with many foreign leaders in the run-up to the election, his call with Zelensky is particularly significant given the impact the election will have on U.S. policy toward Ukraine and Russia. A Trump victory could signal a sudden shift in the transatlantic support for Ukraine that President Biden has built.
With less than four months until the election, Trump and Biden have contrasting positions on the Ukraine war. Biden has been a staunch defender of Ukraine and a vocal critic of Russian aggression. Trump, a longtime admirer of Russian President Putin and a vocal critic of an “America First” policy based on skepticism of foreign intervention, has privately said he believes the war could be ended by pressuring Ukraine to give up some of its territory, people familiar with the matter previously told The Washington Post. He has also suggested he could scale back crucial U.S. military aid.
In the Republican Party At the presidential convention in Milwaukee this week, President Trump formally accepted the nomination and named Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate. Vance has been a vocal critic of U.S. aid to Ukraine and voted against the massive aid package this spring. Vance’s selection has heightened concerns among advocates of U.S. foreign engagement that a second Trump term could dramatically change the U.S. stance. President Zelensky called for continued support from allies around the world and urged them not to let up on their support for the country.
Trump’s private conversations with Zelensky during his presidency culminated in a rare presidential censure in Congress. The conversation five years ago in July led to Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. Trump urged Zelensky to investigate his political rival Biden and hinted at a possible White House meeting, which Zelensky wanted. That prompted a whistle-blower complaint and a failed effort in Congress to remove Trump from office. Republican-controlled Senate.
In a summary of their meeting on Friday, the two leaders said Zelenskiy congratulated Trump on winning the Republican presidential nomination and condemned the attempt by a gunman to assassinate Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last weekend.
In a statement about the call, President Zelenskyy said, “We noted that bipartisan, bicameral support from the United States is essential to defend our country’s freedom and independence.” He added, “Ukraine will always appreciate American assistance in strengthening our capacity to resist Russian terrorism, whose attacks on our cities and villages continue daily.”
Putin has said he would only end the war if Kiev abandons its efforts to join NATO and gives up territory claimed by Russia, a move Ukraine has flatly rejected. Trump said during a debate with Biden in June that Putin’s conditions were “unacceptable” but highlighted the amount of U.S. money flowing to Ukraine and said he would press for a swift end to the war.
“I will resolve this war between President Putin and President Zelensky before I take office,” Trump said, lamenting that “people are being killed needlessly and senselessly.” He did not explain exactly how he would broker peace, but suggested Putin respects him more than Biden.
Biden has repeatedly called for continuing aid to Ukraine and in April signed the aid package with bipartisan support despite fierce resistance from “America First” Republicans who argued such spending was not in the U.S.’s interest.
Some of the billions of dollars were provided through loans that can be forgiven by the president of the United States – something Trump has argued were loans, not gifts.
Vance, Trump’s running mate, has emerged as a leader of the GOP’s isolationist wing, concerned by some hawkish Republicans who believe it is important for the U.S. to support its allies abroad. Vance wrote an op-ed this spring arguing that the aid urged by the Biden administration would not be enough to defeat Russia.
Zelenskiy made a strong case for the aid at a NATO summit in Washington this month, noting the impact of the election on foreign policy. “The whole world is watching in November,” he said.
Like Biden, Zelensky argued that if not restrained, Putin will not stop in Ukraine, but will instead threaten NATO countries and force further U.S. involvement. The Ukrainian president acknowledged the differences between Trump and Biden but said he believes Putin “will hate both of them.”
Michael Birnbaum contributed to this report.
