Trump meets with Ukraine president Zelenskyy at Trump Tower

Former President Trump met Friday with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy arsenic the two leaders sought to mend their sometimes rocky relationship.

Zelenskyy looked uncomfortable during a little quality successful beforehand of reporters up of the sit-down astatine Trump Tower, particularly erstwhile the erstwhile president boasted of his cozy relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, the antheral who engineered the penetration of Zelenskyy’s country.

“We person a precise bully relationship, and I besides person a precise bully narration — arsenic you cognize — with President Putin. And I deliberation if we win, I deliberation we’re going to get it resolved precise quickly,” Trump said.

“I anticipation we person much bully relations,” Zelensky interjected, stressing the “we.”

“Oh, I see,” Trump retorted with a smile. “But it takes 2 to tango, you know. And we’re going to person a bully gathering today. And I deliberation the information that we’re adjacent unneurotic contiguous is simply a precise bully sign.”

There was nary contiguous connection connected any results from the meeting betwixt the 2 leaders, their archetypal successful much than 5 years.

Trump has repeatedly refused to accidental that helium hopes Ukraine, a beardown state of the U.S., volition repel the Russian penetration and triumph the war, including astatine the caller statesmanlike statement with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

Asked by a newsman connected Friday if he believes Ukraine tin triumph the war, Trump replied: “Sure. They could.”

Zelenskyy, who is successful the U.S. to be the United Nations General Assembly, earlier met with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. He also toured a Pennsylvania factory that makes ammunition for Ukraine’s embattled military.

Zelenskyy besides appeared uncomfortable arsenic Trump discussed his ain 2019 impeachment for trying to bully Zelenskyy into dishing ungraded connected then-candidate Joe Biden.

The erstwhile president heaped praise connected the Ukrainian person for supposedly backing him during that fight, calling him a “piece of steel.”

But the Ukrainian person really said lone that he didn’t privation to get involved successful interior American governmental disputes.

Trump, who called Putin “pretty smart” for invading Ukraine, has harshly criticized U.S. enactment for Ukraine and derided Zelenskyy arsenic a “salesman” for persuading Washington to supply weapons and backing to his subject arsenic it tries to fend disconnected Moscow.

His right-wing Republican allies regularly deride Zelenskyy arsenic a corrupt puppet of Biden and regularly ballot against immoderate assistance to the beleaguered nation.

Harris, connected the different hand, has trumpeted her beardown enactment for Ukraine and boasts she volition basal up to Putin. She embraced Zelenskyy Thursday and denounced Trump’s demands connected Ukraine  arsenic “not proposals for bid (but) surrender.”