FIRM FRIENDS
Zelensky among FIRST leaders to congratulate Trump & praise his ‘strength’ amid war funding fears…but Putin stays silent
The Ukrainian President is working hard to repair his tumultuous relationship with Trump
PRESIDENT Zelensky has rushed to pile praise on Donald Trump as he claimed victory in the US, but Vladimir Putin has remained silent.
The Ukrainian president was one of the first world leaders to offer his congratulations to the incoming US President who made a staggering political comeback with 279 electoral votes.
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Meanwhile, Kamala Harris trailed behind with just 223 and is also on track to lose the popular vote, the first time for a Democrat candidate since 2004.
A slew of world leaders rushed to social media to praise Trump's return to The White House as they hope to sweeten the incoming president.
Many feel they need Trump on their side after he promised voters to make huge changes which will impact global trade and America's current approach to foreign affairs and conflicts.
This may largely be why Zelensky was one of the first to ensure that he issued his congratulations to Trump after he claimed he could end the war with Russia before his inauguration.
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Kamala Harris argued that this likely meant Trump would appease Russia, causing further threats to other European nations.
It comes as...
- Donald Trump took to the stage in Florida to celebrate his election as the 47th President of the United States.
- JD Vance said the victory is the "greatest political comeback in American history."
- Kamala Harris refused to speak to the media as Trump took the lead.
- Harris' team said the Vice President will speak on Wednesday.
- Trump won battleground states Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, according to the .
- Trump's team started to celebrate early with a chant when he won North Carolina.
- Republicans took control of the Senate after Ted Cruz was re-elected in Texas.
- Firefighters were forced to help recount 30,000 votes when polls faced election night chaos.
However, Zelensky praised Trump's "decisive leadership" and reminded him of their previous work together.
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"Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump on his impressive election victory!" the Ukrainian President as he revealed some of Trump's former discussions with Ukrainian officials.
During these conversations, Trump and Zelensky discussed the "strategic partnership" between the European nation and the US as well as "the Victory Plan" and how to end Russian aggression.
Trump & Zelensky meet as Don boasts of 'good relationship' with him AND Putin
"I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the 'peace through strength' approach in global affairs," the Ukrainian leader wrote.
"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.
"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."
"We are interested in developing mutually beneficial political and economic cooperation that will benefit both of our nations," he continued.
"Ukraine, as one of Europe's strongest military powers, is committed to ensuring long-term peace and security in Europe and the Transatlantic community with the support of our allies.
"I am looking forward to personally congratulating President Trump and discussing ways to strengthen Ukraine's strategic partnership with the United States."
Trump's win means 'high risks but higher possibilities' for Ukraine war
Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian MP, has told Times Radio that Donald Trump in the White House means "higher risks but higher possibilities
The MP said Trump's unpredictability could work in Ukraine's favour because the president-elect "doesn't want his own Afghanistan" like Biden's withdrawal near the start of his term.
When asked if and how Trump can end the war in Ukraine in just 24 hours, as he has previously claimed, the MP said:
"Yes he can, I think, but the question is what is the price and how he sees it. I don't know.
"From a Ukrainian perspective, I think that Donald Trump is definitely higher risks, but also higher possibilities for Ukraine.
"Kamala Harris was more predictable, Donald Trump is less predictable. What he will do, and how it will end, we don't know for the moment.
"But, Donald Trump already in his victory speech said about oil, which is very important.
"If Donald Trump drops the oil price in the world, that can have a super effect more than anything else on the war in Ukraine and on the Russian regime in general. So it's just one example. I mean, the situation is not black and white.
"I think that Donald Trump, who is a super winner, especially now after such a victory, he doesn't want to be a loser.
"He doesn't want to receive his own Afghanistan like Biden received at the beginning of his term."
REPAIRING RELATIONS
Zelensky has some reparation work to do with Trump after Americans criticised the amount of money being spent on Ukraine to aid them in the war against Russia.
The Ukrainian President also found himself in the middle of the attempt to impeach Trump when he was last in office.
As the impeachment inquiry went on in US Congress, many witnesses claimed that Trump blocked around $400 million in aid to Ukraine to pressure Ukrainian officials.
The Republican allegedly held the aid as ransom in exchange for Ukraine's support in launching investigations into Hunter Biden, the son of his political rival who worked for a Ukrainian energy company.
Crucial witnesses who testified at the inquiry called it a "quid pro quo" deal which the Democrats slammed as bribery, leading to the first impeachment proceeding against Trump.
"Look, I never talked to the President from the position of a quid pro quo. That’s not my thing,” Zelensky told in 2019.
"I don’t want us to look like beggars. But you have to understand. We’re at war. If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us."
Meanwhile, after Zelensky visited Trump in the US earlier this year, Trump said he has a good relationship with both the Ukrainian leader and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin," Trump said ahead of the meeting.
"And I think if we win, I think we're going to get it resolved very quickly."
However, just a few weeks later, Trump blamed Zelensky and President Joe Biden for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"[Zelensky] should never have let that war start," he said on a .
"That war's a loser."
Meanwhile, he claimed that Biden "instigated the war" claiming that it would not have happened had he been President.
PUTIN'S SILENCE
As Zelensky attempts to curry favour with the Republican leader following their previously tumultuous relationship, the Russian President is remaining silent.
Putin has no plans to immediately congratulate Donald Trump, the Kremlin dictator’s spokesman said.
"I'm not aware of any plans by the president to congratulate Trump," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Let us not forget that we are talking about an unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in a war against our nation."
Peskov claimed that the relationship between the two nations is at a historic low.
When asked about a Putin-Trump phone call, he said: "Perhaps it's not for us to ask.
"I remind you once again of Putin's words about his openness to contacts, and dialogue.
"This is our consistent position. It is well-known around the world.
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"The rest, let us wait for concrete actions."
He noted that President Joe Biden will remain in office for another month and a half.
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