The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent’s first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.

pre-order now
Skip to content
Edit post

Working with Trump would be 'hard work, but we are hard workers,' Zelensky says

by Dmytro Basmat July 19, 2024 1:21 AM 2 min read
Zelensky visits media on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Working with Donald Trump if he is re-elected U.S. president would be "hard work, but we (Ukrainians) are hard workers," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with BBC on July 18.

Despite public disagreements with Trump about his plan to bring the war to an immediate end if he wins in November that reportedly involves ceding territory to Russia, Zelensky told the BBC he is ready to work with whoever is elected U.S. president to defeat Russia.

“Maybe he really doesn’t care, but we have to work with the United States,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky's comments mirror remarks made by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov who said on July 17 that Ukraine will find a way to combat Russia's forces even if former President Donald Trump wins a second term and jeopardizes vital U.S. support for its defense.

"We believe in U.S. leadership, and we believe America wants its partners and allies to be strong as well," Umerov said, according to the Associated Press as he was speaking remotely to government officials at the annual Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. "At this stage, we will focus on the battlefield," he noted. "Whatever the outcome" of the U.S. elections, "we will find solutions."

Trump has long criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine, and as the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2024 U.S. elections, his sway over the party had contributed to the months-long deadlock in Congress over U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Trump's newly-appointed vice presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, is thought to be an even more outspoken opponent of U.S. support for Ukraine, and has openly endorsed territorial concessions as part of a potential peace deal.

In early July, Zelensky said that he is "potentially ready" to meet with Trump and urged him to reveal the details of his plan for ending Russia's war against Ukraine so Kyiv can be prepared for any risks such a plan might entail.

‘I don’t care’ – JD Vance on Ukraine, in his own words
The selection of Ohio Senator J. D. Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate this week has sent ripples of concern around the globe, felt not least in Ukraine. One of the most vocal opponents of U.S. aid to Ukraine, Vance has an extensive back catalog of statements that might

News Feed

8:06 AM  (Updated: )

Zelensky visits South Africa but cuts trip short after mass Russian strike.

"We count on South Africa’s meaningful participation in the International Coalition for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. We will also certainly strengthen our cultural and educational ties," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
5:30 AM

Trump says he may meet Putin 'shortly' after May Middle East visit.

Despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations, Trump and Putin have yet to have direct contact, communicating only through their officials. Trump's last in-person encounter with his Russian counterpart was during the 2018 Helsinki Summit during the U.S. president's first term.
8:08 PM

Ukrainians react to US proposal of recognizing Crimea as Russian.

The U.S. media outlet Axios reported on April 23 that the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's final proposal for ending the Russia-Ukraine war included the U.S. de jure recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and de facto recognizing its control of other occupied Ukrainian territories. We asked Kyiv residents for their reactions to the U.S. proposal.
7:21 PM  (Updated: )

Trump says 'nobody is asking' Ukraine to recognize Crimea as Russian.

"Nobody is asking (President Volodymyr) Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory, but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.