Trump Plays Nice With Zelenskyy After Turning On Him Earlier In Week

On Wednesday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of saying “nasty” things about him and criticized him for not reaching a deal with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Zelenskyy’s country.

But Friday, both men were, if not all smiles, at least only somewhat visibly awkward as they tried to paper over a central difference in their stances: Trump has declined to say which side he favors in Russia’s war on Ukraine, and Zelenskyy has insisted on a “just” end to the war that would preserve his country’s pre-conflict boundaries.

The Friday morning meeting in New York City between Trump and Zelenskyy capped off a roller-coaster week for the Ukrainian president, whose bid to keep fighting hinges heavily on the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, given the U.S. supply of weapons is allowing the much-smaller Ukraine to remain in the fight.

“We need [a] just peace, we need [a] just peace. It’s so important to have [a] just peace for the people, especially for the families who lost their children. It’s [a] big tragedy,” Zelenskyy told Fox Newsafter the pair met.

Trump said his stance hasn’t changed, but he appeared to be softening it slightly.

“We both want to see this end, and we both want to see a fair deal made. It’s got to be fair,” Trump said as he stood next to Zelenskyy. “And I think that’ll happen at the right time.”

Trump’s tone was a marked change from just Wednesday, when he and several high-profile GOP members of Congress attacked Zelenskyy publicly.

“It’s something we have to have a quick discussion about because the president of Ukraine is in our country and he’s making little nasty aspersions toward your favorite president, me,” Trump