PARIS – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted at a weekend meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump that any settlement with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine had to be “just,” as fears grow in Kyiv on the position of the incoming administration.
President Emmanuel Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelenskyy and Trump at the Elysee Palace, discussing what the incoming American president had termed a world that was a “little crazy.”
Hours after their meeting, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden announced a new $988 million military assistance package for Ukraine.
The package features drones, ammunition for precision HIMARS rocket launchers, and equipment and spare parts for artillery systems, tanks and armored vehicles, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump just before the three men headed to Notre Dame for the re-opening ceremony of the great Paris cathedral was his first face-to-face encounter with tycoon-turned-politician since his election victory.
The meeting was of huge importance to Zelenskyy, given fears in Kyiv that Trump, who once boasted he could end Russia’s war on Ukraine in 24 hours, may urge Ukraine to make concessions to Moscow.
It also offered a unique chance for Macron to gain insights into how a second Trump presidency will look when he takes office in January. The trip to Paris is Trump’s first international visit since his November 5 election win.
“We all want peace. But it is very important for us… that the peace is just for all of us and that Russia, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or any other aggressor has no possibility of ever returning,” Zelenskyy said according to the presidential website.
“And this is the most important thing — a just peace and security guarantees, strong security guarantees for Ukraine,” he added.
Trump has scoffed at the billions of dollars in US military assistance to Ukraine and has spoken of forcing a quick settlement.
But Zelenskyy also thanked Trump for his “unwavering resolve” describing the talks as “good and productive.”
