Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says Kyiv expects Zelenskyy-Trump meeting soon after Trump's inauguration
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has reported that Kyiv expects a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President-elect Donald Trump shortly after his inauguration on 20 January.
Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was asked to share his perspective on Trump’s announcement that he is actively working to organise a meeting with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.
"Donald Trump has previously mentioned plans for such a meeting, so we see nothing new in this," he said at a media briefing.
He added that Ukraine is focused on establishing cooperation with the incoming US administration and is looking forward to a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump.
"Our stance is clear: everyone in Ukraine wants to end the war on terms that are fair to Ukraine. We believe President Trump is also committed to ending the war. Therefore, the priority now is for a meeting between our presidents – President Trump and President Zelenskyy. The most important thing for us is to collaborate with America in the pursuit of peace," the spokesperson stated.'
"We are preparing for Ukrainian-American contacts at both high and the highest levels immediately following [Trump's] inauguration," Tykhyi said.
In his subsequent remarks, the spokesman stated: "There will definitely be contacts between the leaders of Ukraine and the United States. Preparations are also underway for interactions at all other levels, which will certainly take place after the inauguration."
Recently, Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, stated that he "set a goal on a personal and professional level" and aims to find a settlement to the current full-scale war within 100 days of the new president’s inauguration.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that representatives of US President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged in discussions with European partners that they will not be able to end the war in Ukraine swiftly but have promised to continue supporting the country.