by Jake Smith
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week flew to a key U.S. swing state on a plane paid for with taxpayer money after publicly criticizing former President Donald Trump and Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance.
Zelensky touched down in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Sunday in a U.S. Air Force C-17A and toured a local ammunition factory that has been producing weapons for Ukraine during the country’s ongoing war with Russia. During the visit, Zelensky met with senior Pennsylvania Democratic Party officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Matt Cartwright, and expressed gratitude “for their support.”
During my visit to the Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, where artillery and mortar shell components are produced, including 155 mm shells for Ukraine, I highlighted the commitment of the employees, which is truly inspiring – they support Ukraine remain forceful in the fight for… photo: twitter.com/rs0vLZRlVU
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelensky (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2024
Before traveling to the US, Zelensky spoke Down New Yorker and said Trump “really doesn’t know how to stop the war.”
“Trump makes political statements in his election campaign. He says he wants the war to end. Well, so do we… In my opinion, Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war, even if he thinks he does,” Zelensky said. New Yorker in an interview published Sunday, noting that he appreciated Trump expressing his support. “Often with this war, the deeper you look at it, the less you understand. I’ve seen a lot of leaders who were convinced they knew how to end it tomorrow, and as they got deeper into it, they realized it wasn’t that easy.”
Zelensky was even more critical of Vance, New Yorkercalling it “too radical”. interview on Shawn Ryan’s show in mid-September, Vance recently proposed a peace deal under which Russia would retain occupied territory so that a demilitarized zone could be established along the current front lines.
The demilitarized zone would have to be “heavily fortified to prevent the Russians from invading again,” Vance said at the time. Such a deal could also include a provision that Ukraine not join NATO to ensure neutrality toward Russia.
“It would be a terrible idea if someone were to actually implement it,” Zelensky told The New Yorker. “But there’s definitely no way it would ever happen… And it wouldn’t necessarily end the war. Those are just slogans.”
Zelensky went on to say that Vance’s ideas are “dangerous signals” and that accepting such a deal would threaten other American interests abroad, such as the Middle East and Taiwan. He further suggested that Vance, if elected, “should be held accountable for potentially starting a global war” if his ideas are implemented.
“Any president or vice president who raises this perspective – that ending the war depends on perpetuating the status quo and Ukraine simply giving up its lands – should be held accountable for potentially starting a global war,” Zelensky said. New Yorker“I don’t take Vance’s words seriously because if that were the plan, America would be heading towards a global conflict. It would involve Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Taiwan, China, and many African countries as well.”
Russia he invaded Ukraine began a war more than two years ago that shows no signs of ending, even as hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have died in combat and hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent on the conflict. Ukraine has lost some territory but now largely holds the line along the war’s eastern front against pursuing Russian forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented its own ceasefire terms, although they were widely considered ridiculous and Ukraine immediately rejected them. The U.S. has not publicly offered any ceasefire proposals to date.
President Joe Biden has just a few months left in his term, and his energy is starting to wear slender. options in the war, especially since it is unlikely to receive any funding from Congress to support Ukraine between now and January. The Biden administration reportedly believes the chances of Ukraine defeating Russia in a military victory in that time frame are slim to none, According to Down Wall Street Journal.
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Jake Smith is a reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The painting “Volodymyr Zelensky” by Volodymyr Zelensky.
