Remember when Trump made his in-person meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky awkward?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made the journey to the United States in September 2024 to present Ukraine's Victory Plan to Joe Biden and other prominent American politicians.

Two political leaders at the top of Zelensky's list to meet with, and present Ukraine's new plan for victory to, were the 2024 Democratic Presidential Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Republican Presidential Candidate former president Donald Trump.

On September 27th, Zelensky and Donald Trump met for the first time in over four years. However, just before their face-to-face meeting began, the former president created an awkward situation.

Trump took a question before the private sit down from a reporter who asked the former president about his expectations for the meeting and he provided a weird and rambling answer about finding a pathway to peace. 

“Look, this is a meeting, and we have a big race going on right now. I guess 37 days left and we’re leading in the polls, so we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump said before adding that he’d get the war settled. 

“Hopefully it’ll work out, but if it does, we’re gonna work very much with both parties to try and get this settled and get it worked out,” the former president added. He went on to explain that the conflict did have to end at some point. 

Trump told reporters Zelensky and his country had gone through h**l like few other countries but he added that it was a terrible situation according to a quote of his comments published by Mediaite. 

Trump also said that he had a great relationship with Zelensky and even called him “a piece of steel” before he got around to making a comment that was almost as awkward as the time Joe Biden introduced Zelensky as President Putin during NATO’s June summit. 

Trump quickly talked about how Zelensky had said that he did nothing wrong when the Democrats were trying to impeach him for withholding aid to Ukraine and then said that he had a “great relationship” with Vladimir Putin. 

“So we have a very good relationship,” Trump said before he added: “And I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. And I think, if we win, I think we’re going to get it resolved very quickly. Very, I really think we’re going to get it.”

Zelensky didn’t react immediately, but when Trump appeared to come to the end of his remark, the Ukrainian President turned to Trump and said: “I hope we have more good relations with us.”

Trump didn’t skip a beat in his response, smiling and saying: “Oh I see” before he went on to make another awkward comment. “Yeah, but, you know, it takes two to tango, you know, and we will, we’re having a good meeting today.”

Trump concluded his comments by saying that he and Zelensky were going to sit down and discuss the war. “If we have a win, I think long before January 20… I think that we can work out something that’s good for both sides. It’s time.” 

The former president had previously said that he would end the conflict in 24 hours if he were to reflect in November, a remark Trump has repeated and one that has appeared to create some friction between the leaders. 

In November 2023, Zelensky invited Trump to visit Ukraine during an interview on ‘Meet the Press’ so he could tell him in 24 minutes why he would not be able to end the conflict in 24 hours according to NBC News. 

Politico reported that the meeting came at a time when Trump had been attacking Zelensky on the campaign trail, saying he had made “little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me,” and referred to Zelensky as the “greatest salesman on Earth.”

Reports following the private meeting suggested Zelensky showed the Ukrainian victory plan to Trump according to The Kyiv Independent. After the meeting, Trump stated that he “learned a lot” but that his view on ending the conflict “as soon as possible” has not. 

"I think I haven't changed from the standpoint, we both want to see it end and a fair deal made. It has to be fair. I think it will happen at the right time," Trump said according to CBS News. Zelensky also provided a few remarks following the meeting. 

"The president wants it to end as quickly as possible. He wants a fair transaction to take place,” Zelensky said.  "He is in our territory. That's the most important. He is in our territory and how to stop the war, to pressure him as we can, we have to do it."

In a Truth Social post later in the day, Trump wrote that he and Zelensky had a “great meeting” and added: "If I'm elected President, the war with Russia and Ukraine will end quickly. If not, that war will never end, and will phase into WORLD WAR III.”

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