Trump to pitch quick peace deal with Russia in talks with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy

Former US president Donald Trump will likely renew its controversial pitch of a possible swift peace deal with Russia when he meets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday (27 September).

Speaking in front of Trump Tower in New York, the Republican presidential candidate, in a significant U-turn, confirmed to reporters he would meet the Ukrainian leader in the same building on Friday morning.

“I look forward to seeing him tomorrow,” Trump said, adding: “I believe I will be able to make a deal between President [Vladimir] Putin and President Zelenskyy quite quickly.”

The meeting will come amid Zelenskyy’s effort during the week-long US trip to garner support for what Ukraine has dubbed a “victory plan” which will be presented to US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Trump. 

Ukrainian officials remain concerned that US commitments to the country will wane the longer the war goes on, and even more so should Trump win back the White House in November.

In recent weeks, Kyiv has heightened efforts to secure further US support for its war effort ahead of what could be the toughest winter since the start of Russia's war.

Quick peace deal

Asked by reporters whether Ukraine might have to give up parts of its territory to reach a peace deal with Russia, a possibility that Ukraine rejects, Trump remained non-committal.

"We'll see what happens," he said, adding: "We need peace. We need to stop the death and destruction.”

Instead, Trump insisted that he "will be able to make a deal between President Putin and President Zelenskyy quite quickly,” a claim the Republican had repeated multiple times over the past two years.

Earlier on Thursday, at a campaign event in North Carolina, Trump had been more direct about him not supporting Ukraine or Zelenskyy.

His running mate, JD Vance, had previously publicly stated that he believed Russia could retain the land it has occupied and Ukraine would possibly need to forget about NATO membership to end the war.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris had called the Trump campaign’s policy “proposals of surrender”.

“These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear, they are not proposals for peace (...) Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable,” Harris said on Thursday.

Public feud

Earlier in the week, there was speculation whether Trump would reject Zelenskyy's meeting request amid a public feud with Republican officials over a visit to a Pennsylvania ammunition factory. US Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson had dismissed the trip as electoral interference.

Just before announcing the meet-up, Trump posted a message from the Ukrainian leader in which Zelenskyy asked him for the meeting, which would serve the aim to  “strive to understand each other.”

The fact that Trump decided to publicly disclose the private messages feeds into the tension that has been simmering for a while between the two.

Zelenskyy has long sought a meeting with Trump as neither of them has met in person since 2021, and a previous attempt this July on the margins of the NATO Summit in Washington did not materialise.

More US aid for Ukraine

Trump's acceptance of Zelenskyy's request came only hours after incumbent US President Joe Biden had met his Ukrainian counterpart in the White House in Washington D.C. and announced more than $8 billion in new military aid for Ukraine.

"I have directed the Department of Defense to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that has been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of my term in office," Biden said, with Zelenskyy standing alongside him in the White House.

Washington's new aid package will include the first shipment of a medium-range precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), which has a range of up to 130 kilometres.

While it falls short of Ukraine's demands to receive long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, it significantly upgrades Kyiv's capabilities to strike Russian forces.

Washington said it would also provide Kyiv with an additional Patriot air defence battery and missiles and expand ongoing F-16 fighter jet training efforts to 18 additional Ukrainian pilots.

Biden also announced he would convene a Ukraine Defense Contact Group summit in Germany next month, which is expected to coordinate efforts of the more than 50 countries.

“My message is clear: The United States will give Ukraine the support it needs to win this war,” Biden said.

[Edited by Alice Taylor-Braçe]