WASHINGTON: US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he had a “very good call” on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pledged to end the war pitting Kyiv against Moscow through negotiations.

Zelensky also reported his conversation with Trump and expressed thanks for US military assistance. But he made no reference in a post on social media platform X to efforts to end the 28-month-old conflict.

Trump has said he will end the war in Ukraine before he even takes office in January should he win the November 5 election. He has also said that had he been in office when the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, the war would not have taken place.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said that as president he “will bring peace to the world and end the war that has cost so many lives.”

“Both sides will be able to come together and negotiate a deal that ends the violence and paves a path forward to prosperity,” Trump said.

Though Trump has put forward few tangible policy proposals, he said in an interview last year that Ukraine might have to cede some territory to reach a peace agreement.

In his post, Zelensky said he congratulated Trump on becoming the Republican nominee and condemned the assassination attempt on him last week.

“I wished him strength and absolute safety in the future,” Zelensky said. “I noted the vital bipartisan and bicameral American support for protecting our nation’s freedom and independence.”

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2024