US Election Tension: Trump and Zelensky Set to Clash in New York Meeting

In a highly anticipated showdown, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky are scheduled to meet on Friday at Trump Tower in New York, amidst a heated row between the two leaders. The meeting comes after Trump accused Zelensky of refusing to "make a deal" to end the conflict with Russia, prompting the Ukrainian president to question Trump’s ability to stop the war.

Zelensky’s visit to the United States has been marked by controversy, including a meeting with Trump’s election rival Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden. During their meeting, Harris pledged her support for Kyiv’s war effort, while Biden announced a new military aid package worth nearly $8 billion for Ukraine.

Trump, however, has been critical of Zelensky’s handling of the conflict, and has echoed many of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s talking points. At a rally earlier this week, Trump said that Ukraine could not win as Russia "beat Hitler, they beat Napoleon, that’s what they do."

The meeting with Zelensky marks a significant departure from Trump’s previous stance on the conflict, which has long been bankrolled by the United States. Trump has long been critical of the billions of dollars in US support for Ukraine, and has questioned the effectiveness of the aid.

Zelensky’s visit to the United States comes at a critical time, as Ukraine struggles to make progress on the battlefield in the third year of Moscow’s invasion. The war has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions, and the international community is closely watching the situation.

The outcome of the meeting between Trump and Zelensky is likely to have significant implications for the war in Ukraine, and could impact the trajectory of the conflict in the coming months.