Zelenskyy: Trump Well Informed on War, Could Be a ‘Game Changer’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, calling the talks “very good and constructive.”
The Gaze reports this, referring to Zelenskyy’s post on social media.
The Ukrainian president underlined that both leaders devoted significant attention to the plight of children abducted by Russia.
He welcomed the fact that First Ladies Melania Trump and Olena Zelenska also met in New York to discuss humanitarian issues.
“Today much attention was given to the issue of returning the children abducted by Russia, as well as supporting our efforts to protect lives. We discussed several promising ideas for bringing peace closer, and I hope they will yield quick results,” Zelenskyy said.
Military assistance was also at the center of the discussions. Zelenskyy stressed that Kyiv counts on sustained U.S. support to keep Ukraine’s defenses strong. “In particular, we touched upon the PURL program, which is already working well, as well as potential projects within this initiative,” he added.
Speaking at a late-night briefing, Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed the battlefield situation, including Ukraine’s counteroffensive in Donetsk region, as well as Russia’s faltering economy.
“Mr. President clearly understands the situation and is well informed about all aspects of this war,” he said. “We highly value his determination to help end it.”
Zelenskyy went further, describing Trump as a potential “game changer” in global efforts to halt the war. “There are very few international players capable of this, but the U.S. president is one of them,” Zelenskyy remarked.
At the same time, he voiced skepticism over Beijing’s willingness to act, saying China “is not interested, and I honestly do not know why.”
According to Zelenskyy, the U.S. administration aims to maintain parallel pressure on Russia alongside Europe, but he urged Washington not to wait for lengthy EU procedures. “The United States can definitely take strong steps on their own, and we very much would like this,” he said.
Zelenskyy also suggested that Trump’s view of Ukraine had shifted over time. “At first, he trusted information from Putin about Ukraine, about what was happening in the east,” he explained. “But gradually he realized that this information was far from reality. Now he trusts me more than Putin.”
The Ukrainian president concluded that Trump had responded positively to Kyiv’s proposals and approaches for building peace. “We had good communication, and I am grateful to President Trump for this opportunity,” he stated.
As The Gaze reported earlier, after talks with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Donald Trump said that Russia's economic problems open up an opportunity for Ukraine to restore its original borders.