Kyiv worries a peace deal brokered by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would lead to loss of territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met Donald Trump to try and shore up US support against Russia and Vladimir Putin.
The meeting in New York on Friday came amid anxiety that if Trump wins the presidency in November, his administration’s support would likely be less stalwart than that of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Indeed, while Trump has said he thinks it is in the US’s interest for the conflict to end, he has declined to say if he believes it is to Washington’s benefit that Ukraine emerge the victor.
“I think we have a common view that the war in Ukraine has to be stopped and Putin can’t win,” Zelenskyy said.
“It’s very important to share, to share all the plan, all our steps, how we can strengthen Ukraine.”
Two-and-a-half years after Putin ordered Russia’s troops into Ukraine, Zelenskyy reflected on the political reality as the US heads for an election, which polls show will be close.
“We have to decide it now, because after November, we don’t know who is, only Americans decide who will be the president, but we understand that till November, we can’t stop Putin,” he said.
“We have to do it. We will try on the battlefield with our heroic soldiers. But we understand that after November, we have to decide, and we hope that the strengths of the United States will be very strong, and we count on it. That’s why I decided to meet with both candidates.”
Trump has often claimed he could end the conflict within “24 hours” if he was elected, but many fear any deal he oversaw would require Kyiv to hand over chunks of territory, something has insisted he will not agree to.
Speaking on Friday, Trump said of the conflict that has cost thousands of lives: “It has to end. At some point, it has to end.”
He added, “He’s going through hell, and his country has gone through hell … It’s terrible, the whole situation.”
White House meetings
His conversation with Trump came a day after he met both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. He also met other world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to urge them to continue their support.
Biden has highlighted his ability to rally Western allies to counter Russia, with arms, money and political support, as one of the distinctions between him and Trump.
In an interview with The New Yorker published earlier this week, Zelenskyy implied Trump did not understand and oversimplified the conflict.
The Ukrainian leader said Trump’s running mate JD Vance was “too radical” and has advocated for Ukraine to “make a sacrifice” by “giving up its territories”.
Meanwhile, Trump attacked Zelenskyy and Ukraine on two separate occasions this week.
Speaking Wednesday in North Carolina, he referred to Ukraine as “demolished” and its people as “dead”.
“Any deal – the worst deal – would’ve been better than what we have now,” Trump said.
“If they made a bad deal it would’ve been much better. They would’ve given up a little bit and everybody would be living and every building would be built and every tower would be ageing for another 2,000 years.”