Tue Sep 24 03:20:56 UTC 2024: ## Trump Claims Zelenskyy Wants Democrats to Win US Election

**Tokyo, Japan** – Former US President Donald Trump has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of supporting the Democratic Party in the upcoming 2024 US election, in which Trump is facing off against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump, speaking at a rally in Western Pennsylvania, claimed Zelenskyy is “the greatest salesman in history” for securing billions in US aid for Ukraine. “He wants them to win this election so badly,” Trump said, implying Zelenskyy’s preference for a Democratic victory.

The Republican candidate further stated he would “work out peace” between Ukraine and Russia if elected, reiterating his previous promise to call both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a settlement. However, he provided no specifics about his peace plan.

This statement comes in stark contrast to the stance adopted by some of Trump’s allies, who have argued that Ukraine would welcome Trump back to power because only he possesses the diplomatic acumen to negotiate with Putin and end the war.

Zelenskyy, currently in the US attending the UN General Assembly, has stated that decisive US action could hasten the end of the war next year. Despite Trump’s previous statement about a possible meeting with Zelenskyy, no such meeting has been scheduled.

Over the weekend, Zelenskyy visited a weapons factory in Pennsylvania alongside Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, a move that angered some Trump associates, given the state’s importance in the upcoming election.

The Republican and Democratic campaigns are both vying for the support of Americans of Eastern European descent, particularly in Pennsylvania, home to significant Polish and Ukrainian populations.

Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, the US and its allies have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars in assistance and imposed several rounds of sanctions against Russia.

Trump, however, has consistently criticized US aid to Ukraine as a waste of money and has refused to explicitly state his support for Ukraine’s victory. While he and Zelenskyy spoke on the phone in July, they haven’t met in person since Trump’s presidency ended in 2021.

Zelenskyy has previously acknowledged that working with Trump would be “hard work” but expressed hope for continued US military support for Ukraine regardless of the election outcome.

The war in Ukraine has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, displaced millions of people, and devastated Ukrainian towns and cities. Putin has demanded Kyiv cede swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine to Russia and abandon its NATO aspirations as a condition for peace talks.

Zelenskyy, on the other hand, has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of all Russian troops and the restoration of Ukraine’s pre-war borders.

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