Ukraine‘s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said that a victory for Donald Trump in the upcoming US would pose challenges for Ukraine, but they have to work with the United States.
Trump’s selection of Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential candidate has raised concerns about potential changes in Washington’s stance on Ukraine, as Vance has previously said, “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”
Despite Vance’s comment, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of working with the United States, stating, “Maybe he really doesn’t care, but we have to work with the United States.” He said that while a Trump election would be “hard work,” Ukrainians are “hard workers.”
Trump has claimed that, if elected, he would bring the conflict to an end even before taking office through negotiations.He also asserted that the conflict would not have occurred had he been in office when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Throughout the ongoing conflict, the Biden administration has provided weapons and supplies to Ukraine, although the flow of assistance was temporarily disrupted by disputes within the US Congress.
Regarding Britain’s support for Ukraine, Zelenskyy anticipated no change but expressed hope that new Prime Minister Keir Starmer would “become special – speaking about international politics, about defending world security, about the war in Ukraine.” He added that Ukraine “doesn’t just need a new page, we need power to turn this leaf.”