Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested on Friday that Russia's war in Ukraine could conclude "faster" once Donald Trump assumes office as US President.
Speaking to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne and quoted by CNN, Zelenskyy acknowledged the challenging situation on the battlefield, where Russian forces have been leveraging their superiority in manpower and weaponry.
“The war will end faster with the policy of this team that will now lead the White House,” he said, referencing the incoming Trump administration.
“This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them,” the Ukrainian President added.
Zelenskyy underscored Ukraine’s commitment to seeking a diplomatic resolution, saying, “We must do everything to ensure that the war ends next year through diplomatic means.”
Trump repeatedly claimed during the election campaign that if he were President, the Ukraine-Russia conflict would not have begun and has said he could end the war in 24 hours.
Last July, Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s claims and said that his desire to end the war “should be based on some real-life experience. Well, it looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once in his time. We were at war, not a full-scale war, but we were at war, and as I assume, he had that time at his disposal, but he must have had some other priorities.”
“If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukraine, in other words to make us give up our territories, well, I think, in this way, Biden could have brought it to an end even in five minutes, but we would not agree,” added the Ukrainian President.
After Trump was elected to a second term in the White House earlier this month, Zelenskyy issued a statement in which he congratulated Trump and said he appreciated Trump’s commitment to peace through strength.
"I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs. This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer. I am hopeful that we will put it into action together,” said Zelenskyy.
"We look forward to an era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership. We rely on continued strong bipartisan support for Ukraine in the United States,” he added.
"I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine's strategic partnership with the United States."