Zelensky dismisses Trump's contentious statements on Ukraine as 'election messages.'
During an interview with CNN, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed previous contentious statement on Ukraine made by former President Donald Trump as merely "election messages" that may not reflect what his actual policies will be if he is elected president. When asked by CNN's Fareed Zakaria how Zelensky understands Trump's comments that he would end the war in 24 hours, Zelensky dismissed the comments as political rhetoric. "I can't understand it for today because I don't know the details; what he means and what does it mean," Zelensky said, referring to Trump's alleged plan.
"My position is that the election period and election messages are election messages. Sometimes they are not very real," Zelensky said during a clip of the interview, which is set to be fully published on Sept.
15. Zelensky did however acknowledge that Trump's statements have made some Ukrainians "nervous."
During the presidential debate on Sept.
10, the former president reiterated previous statements that his primary concern was ending the war but refrained from detailing how he planned to do so. Media reports indicated that Trump privately suggested he would end Russia's war by pressuring Ukraine to cede occupied Crimea and Donbas to Moscow. He also said publicly in May 2023 that he would not guarantee continued defense assistance to Ukraine if he won the presidential election.
Trump also refused to answer whether Ukraine being victorious was in the best interests of the U.S., instead insisting that it was "in the U.S.'s best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. Negotiate a deal." Trump's vice-presidential running mate Sen.
J.D. Vance said in an interview on Sept.
12 that Donald Trump's plan to end Russia's war could include the establishment of a special demilitarized zone between Ukraine and Russia, among other arrangements. During the interview, Zelensky further provided details on the phone call he had with Trump on July 19, claiming that Trump said he was "very supportive" of Ukraine.
When asked whether Trump will be supportive of Ukraine if elected, Zelensky replied that Trump told him "he will be very supportive and he understands how difficult it is to survive during the war. And he will do everything to strengthen Ukraine." "I don't know.
It's great that it sounds this way but that's why I want to share this plan" referring to the plan Zelensky intends to bring forward to demonstrate to the United States as to how it can win the war. The president said that the proposal would also be presented to Vice President Kamala Harris and ex-President Donald Trump, ahead of the upcoming November presidential election. Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, have stressed that Kyiv will continue to cooperate productively with any U.S. administration, regardless of the outcome of the November election.
Harris allies to run ads highlighting Ukraine support in key battleground states, Politico reports
The Democrat-leaning America's Future Majority Fund super PAC (political action committee) unveiled new ads highlighting VP Kamala Harris' record on Ukraine while criticizing former President Donald Trump's comments on the NATO alliance.
