The president of Ukraine has expressed that his rapport with Donald Trump is on the mend.
In the past, Trump has pledged to contribute towards putting an end to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Despite this, Trump has also engaged in public disputes with Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the resolution of the ongoing war.
In February of this year, Zelenskyy paid a visit to the White House, where a heated exchange took place between the two leaders in front of the media.
The altercation seemed to originate from accusations by Vice President JD Vance, who claimed that Zelenskyy had shown disrespect towards Trump.
Zelenskyy responded by inviting Vance to Ukraine to gain firsthand insight and reconsider his stance on the matter.
Trump did not take kindly to this and responded sharply to Zelenskyy.
He stated: “You’re in no position to dictate what we’re going to feel. We’re going to feel very good. We’re going to feel very good and very strong. You’re, right now, not in a very good position, you’ve allowed yourself to be in a very bad position.
“You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards … You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people! You’re gambling with World War III! You’re gambling with World War III. And what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country – this country.”
Observers concluded that the leaders were not on friendly terms following this incident.
Zelenskyy has since addressed these speculations, insisting that his connection with Trump is now stronger than ever.
During an interview on Fox News, Zelenskyy noted that a key takeaway from his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly was the enhanced ties between him and Trump’s team.
He remarked: “The positions of our teams are closer than any time before.
“Details of the situation on the battlefield from intelligence of both countries are similar.”
Discussing his personal relationship with Trump, Zelenskyy stated: “I think we have better relation than before and I think we didn’t have close relation [before] because we didn’t have maybe time, I don’t know.”
He also tackled the matter of differing views on land exchanges with Russia to end the conflict, expressing that he believes Trump’s perspective has evolved on this issue.
Zelenskyy said: “It’s important that today we had a good conversation with President Trump, and I think he understands, for today, that we can’t just swap territories. It’s not fair, it’s not real.”