As U.S. elections loom, Ukrainian officials are ready for Trump

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

75% : Before the meeting with Zelensky began, Trump said he had a "very good relationship" with the Ukrainian president and that he also has a "very good relationship" with Putin.
68% : "Trump called Zelensky "one of the greatest salesmen I've ever seen," in terms of receiving aid from the United States.
65% : Zelensky always saw similarities between himself and Trump, the official said, which the Ukrainian president believed would help them build a good relationship.
63% : Both rose to power with atypical backgrounds outside of the political system, with Trump hailing from the business world while Zelensky was an actor and comedian.
58% : "Trump and Zelensky met for the first time since the invasion in September, a hastily arranged gathering in New York that lasted less than an hour.
57% : Within Zelensky's office, there's an optimism that the Ukrainian leader could sway Trump if the two forged a personal bond.
57% : "Trump also said that Russia's invasion would have never happened if he were still president, and he has repeatedly expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling some of his strategic decisions "savvy" and "genius.
49% : "He could have grandstanded and played cute, but he didn't do that," Trump said.
43% : There is a sense, though, among Zelensky's people, that Trump would be wary of appearing weak on the world stage and might take more decisive action to support Ukraine as a result.
42% : Trump said it was an "honor" to meet with Zelensky, but their brief appearance in front of assembled journalists illustrated awkwardness in navigating around Trump's stated views of the conflict.
41% : "Naturally, [Zelensky's administration] relates more to Trump," said a Ukrainian official who served in Zelensky's government during Trump's presidency.
40% : Some Ukrainian officials acknowledged, however, that there is higher potential for a downside and are concerned that Trump would push for Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia in negotiations, which Zelensky's administration has adamantly opposed.
36% : "And Trump is the guy of simple solutions.
32% : "Trump has repeatedly said he would help Ukraine and Russia negotiate a rapid deal to end the war if he wins in November, but he has not offered specific details.
32% : Though Trump has praised Putin, his administration was considered hawkish in Moscow and pushed through new rounds of Russian sanctions.
30% : Another senior Ukrainian official recalled that inside the presidential office last year ahead of a Ukraine peace summit in Saudi Arabia that many countries did not bother participating in, Zelensky's deputies lamented that "if Trump were president, everything would be different" because "he would've forced more countries to attend.
22% : But Trump seemed to put the blame for the conflict on the Ukrainian leader, saying he "should never have let that war start.
21% : "At their meeting, Trump praised Zelensky for staying silent about the whole issue of the alleged phone call that sparked the impeachment trial, quelling concerns by Ukrainian officials that the former president could still be holding a grudge.
19% : That effort led to the impeachment of Trump in the U.S. House on charges that he abused his office and obstructed Congress.
6% : Trump and Zelensky have had a tense relationship dating back to 2019, when Trump, who was then president, withheld military aid to Ukraine in an alleged effort to pressure Zelensky to dig up dirt about the business dealings in Ukraine of Biden's son, Hunter Biden.

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