President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an interview with Suspilne on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ukrainian Radio, Kyiv, 15 November 2024.Photo: Suspilne.
In an interview for Suspilne dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Ukrainian Radio, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared his thoughts on possible developments in Ukraine if Donald Trump wins the upcoming US presidential election. He noted that during the interaction with Trump, the Ukrainian side had the opportunity to clearly convey its views on the path to peace in the context of the war with Russia. This is reported by TimeUkraineIsrael with reference to Suspilne.
Constructive dialogue with Trump
Zelenskyy stressed that the interaction with the Trump administration was constructive, and his position on peace in Ukraine was heard. “We were able to clearly convey our position, and I did not hear any objections to it,” he said. In particular, Zelenskyy answered a question about Ukraine’s participation in peace talks with Russia, saying that Ukraine will always defend its independence and will not allow Russia to dictate terms in any way. “We are an independent country. And during this war, we have proved that the rhetoric of “sit down and listen” does not work with us,” the president stressed.
Quick end to the war: Trump’s promise
Particularly important for the Ukrainian president were the words that the war in eastern Ukraine could end much faster if Trump returns to the White House. Zelenskyy noted that the policy promised by the Trump team involves more active actions to achieve peace, which is important for both sides of the conflict. “With the policy of this team, the war will end faster. This is their approach and their promise to their own society,” he said, emphasising that this issue is of great importance to the United States.
Common goal: a just peace for Ukraine
Speaking about the importance of peace, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine seeks not just to end the conflict, but to achieve a just peace that will not bring a sense of loss of the most valuable lives for the sake of unfair conditions. “A just peace is very important for us. We want there to be no feeling that we have lost the best people because of the injustice that was imposed on us,” he said.
Although the date of the war’s end is currently unknown, Ukraine’s president has expressed optimism that the peace process could be significantly accelerated with the incoming Trump administration, given their approach to the issue.