Ukraine is anticipating high-level engagement with the incoming U.S. administration as soon as Donald Trump assumes office, including a potential meeting between the president-elect and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as stated by Kyiv on Friday.
Kyiv views the establishment of strong relations with Trump as a critical objective and has been reaching out to the Republican candidate who won the U.S. presidential election in November, with hopes of swiftly concluding Russia’s nearly three-year war against Ukraine.
“We are looking forward to a meeting between our presidents because our priority is to collaborate closely with America… we are preparing for interactions at the highest levels immediately following the inauguration,” said Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, during a briefing in Kyiv.
Trump has indicated a readiness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a potential step towards resolving the conflict.
Previously, Kyiv has expressed disapproval of Western leaders engaging with Putin, contending that such actions legitimize a pariah and diminish the Russian leader’s isolation. However, it has not opposed the possibility of a Trump-Putin meeting.
Trump has designated retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg as his envoy for issues related to the war. Sources informed Reuters earlier this week that Kellogg’s planned fact-finding trip to Kyiv and other European capitals has been postponed until after Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Tykhyi stated on Friday that the postponement of the visit was due to legal considerations rather than political ones, highlighting the Logan Act, which restricts the capacity of private American citizens to engage in negotiations regarding U.S. conflicts with foreign officials.
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