Ukraine foreign minister: Zelenskyy, Trump teams prepare leaders’ meeting after election call

Ukraine and the presumptive US President-elect Donald Trump’s teams will begin preparations for a bilateral leaders’ meeting, according to Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, who made the announcement during a joint conference with EU High Representative Josep Borrell.

Trump’s stance on the war in Ukraine has been controversial, with him stating that the war is “a loser” and suggesting that Zelenskyy should not have allowed it to start. However, Trump also expressed admiration for Zelenskyy, stating, “I had a good relationship with Zelenskyy. I like him,” shifting from his earlier remarks, where he referred to Zelenskyy as “the greatest salesman on Earth” for securing US support.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among the first world leaders to contact Trump following the US election. The promptness of this communication indicates an established direct channel between the leaders, Sybiha noted at the conference.

“It was a good, sincere conversation during which there was an exchange of views on further cooperation,” Sybiha said, adding that Ukraine anticipates further high-level engagement.

The planned meeting would be their second recent encounter, following discussions in September when Zelenskyy presented Ukraine’s Victory Plan to then-candidate Trump. During that meeting, Trump expressed confidence in his ability to end the war quickly if elected. He also emphasized his “very good relationship” with both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin

On 6 November, prior to official election results, Zelenskyy congratulated Trump and conducted a phone conversation, highlighting that both sides value their strategic partnership.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine expects the incoming White House administration to implement a “peace through strength” approach.

“Only through strength can Russia be forced to respect rules and adhere to basic world documents,” Zelenskyy said in September, while presenting his Victory Plan in New York. 

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