Some updates from the UNGA session today
Trump says he thought his relationship with Putin would have helped end the war
Trump has invoked the situation in Ukraine several times now. He noted that he thought it would be easier to end the war than it has proved to be because his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin “had always been a good one”.
He said Russia’s war in Ukraine is “not making Russia look good”.
Later, he excoriated EU nations for continuing to buy Russian oil and gas although most have made an effort to shift their reliance away from Russia.
Trump and Zelenskyy hold a sidelines meeting
The two leaders held a brief meeting in front of reporters on the sidelines of the General Debate.
Trump said the Ukrainian leader was putting up “one hell of a fight” and that they would “see how that all turns out”, before noting the US was holding about 30 such meetings.
Zelenskyy started by thanking Trump for his efforts to support Ukraine and bring an end to the war. He said he and Trump would discuss security guarantees and would brief the US president on the ongoing situation on the battlefield.
Trump, for his part, said he supported NATO countries shooting down Russian aircraft making incursions on their airspace – an increasing problem for EU countries.
“Yes I do,” Trump told reporters when asked about whether he would support the move.
Asked if the US would help them out in that situation, he said it “depends on the circumstances”.
Trump then commended NATO for stepping up their defence spending contributions.
Ukraine can win back lost territory: Trump
Trump said he believes that Ukraine, with the support of the European Union and NATO, can win back all of the territory Russia has taken since its invasion.
In a post on his Truth Social platform following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York, Trump also said he would continue to supply weapons to NATO “for NATO to do what they want with them.”
