Ukraine war: Zelensky says conflict will 'end sooner' once Trump becomes US president

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday (Nov 15) that Russia's war against his country will "end sooner" once Donald Trump assumes office as the president of the United States (US).

Speaking to Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, President Zelensky said, "It is certain that the war will end sooner with the policies of the team that will now lead the White House. This is their approach, their promise to their citizens."

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"The war will end, but we don't know the exact date," Zelensky added.

Trump's take on the Russia-Ukraine war

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on since late February 2022. Throughout his US presidential election campaign, Donald Trump criticised tens of billions of dollars in aid (that the current US administration) provided to Ukraine since the war began.

Trump said repeatedly that he would resolve the conflict within 24 hours if he became the American president. However, he never explained how this would be done.

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Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida on Friday, Trump said "We're going to work very hard on Russia and Ukraine. It's got to stop."

The Zelensky-Trump interactions

In late September, Zelensky met Trump at the Trump Tower in Manhattan. The Ukrainian president also held a phone call with Trump, congratulating the Republican leader for winning the US presidential election.

Zelensky told Suspilne that he had a "constructive exchange" with Trump during their telephone conversation  "I didn't hear anything that goes against our position," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)