UKRAINE has been given a lifeline after Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Donald Trump and Elon Musk over the phone this week.
The powerful trio reportedly spent 25 minutes on the phone together as President-elect Trump vowed to support Ukraine in their continued fight against Russia.
GettyVolodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in New York back in September[/caption]
AFPThe world’s richest man Elon Musk was also on the phone call after his growing relationship with Trump[/caption]
Ukraine is waiting with bated breath for the Republican’s next move following his historic election win.
It comes amid speculation Trump may leave the war-torn nation in a precautions position by favouring his pal Vladimir Putin‘s wishes.
Zelensky was believed to be calling up Trump to congratulate him on the landslide victory on Wednesday.
During the chat Trump gave Zelensky reassurance saying he would support Ukraine, Axios reported.
Trump said he didn’t plan on abandoning Ukraine in light of the conflict but wanted to “give diplomacy a chance”, report US media.
The 78-year-old followed up with: “I promise you will be happy with me.”
Musk – a surprise guest in the three-way discussion – also reportedly chimed in saying he would continue to supply Starlink satellites to Ukraine.
A well placed source said: “Nothing of what Zelensky and his aides heard from Trump and his team in private has been alarming or made us feel that Ukraine is going to be the one who pays the price.”
Newly found friends, Trump and Musk were at the President-elect’s Mar-a-Lago home for the call, say the New York Times.
Following the positive conversation Zelensky told the world on X:”I had an excellent call with President Trump and congratulated him on his historic landslide victory.
“We agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.
“Strong and unwavering US leadership is vital for the world and for a just peace.”
Trump has criticised Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine in the past as he once ridiculed Zelensky for being a salesman.
The two have since strengthened their relationship after meeting earlier on this year.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the Ukraine war – with his plan on how to achieve that now being revealed.
He would freeze the conflict in place and establish a demilitarised zone down the locked front line, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Kyiv would not join Nato for 20 years, but the US would continue to arm Ukraine to the teeth to prevent Putin from invading again.
Who would police the demilitarised zone remains unclear, according to the sources, but it wouldn’t involve American troops or an international body.
The phone call and Trump’s plan to solve the Ukraine war may frustrate an already cautious Vladimir PutinAFP
GettyMuch of Ukraine has been demolished by Putin’s military as Zelensky continues to call for global support[/caption]
It remains unclear if the Ukrainians approve of the plan
One man is likely to be less than impressed by the phone call is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
He congratulated Trump on Thursday before labelling him a “real man” as he spoke to reporters in Sochi.
Putin’s acknowledgement of Trump’s landslide win came just after top Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov spoke on the Republican’s desire to end the war in Ukraine within days.
During his turbulent campaign Trump confidently announced he plans to end the conflict in Europe within 24 hours of being in office.
Peskov called Trump’s comments an “overexaggeration”.
Despite the remark he did say Trump’s administration will be better placed to try and solve the conflict than Joe Biden‘s.
Peskov said: “Of course, there was a little bit of overexaggeration that he would be able to do it overnight.
“Certainly, there’s nothing that can heal this problem overnight.
“But at least if the new administration is going to look for peace, not for the continuation of the war, it will be better.”
Trump has previously been accused of harbouring close ties with Russia and Putin – something he has always strongly denied as a “hoax”.
During his time in the White House, Trump managed to keep Russia on his side and kept Putin at bay.
But early on during Biden’s reign Vlad launched his invasion.
Trump could greenlight Ukraine striking Russia with long-range missiles, ex-MI6 chief says
By Foreign News Reporter Ellie Doughty
DONALD Trump could give the go-ahead for Ukraine to hammer long-range missiles inside Russia, the former head of MI6 told The Sun.
Sir Richard Dearlove dismissed alarmist concerns following the Republican strongman’s epic election win and said he could crack down on Putin despite leaked plans suggesting a softer approach.
The ex-Spook insisted Trump wouldn’t “risk his reputation as a strong president by selling Ukraine down the river”.
Sir Dearlove said: “An awful lot of people are throwing their toys out of the pram and being very alarmed at this point in time.
“But I think we need to be much more balanced, much more reserved and, you know, take stock.
“Obviously there’s going to be momentum generated by his administration for some sort of deal or settlement in Ukraine.”
Ukraine has long pushed for a relaxing of permissions on its use of American and British weaponry – hoping to fire long-range rockets inside Putin’s territory.
Without air force cover to protect from enemy attacks, Kyiv’s forces argue the broader missile use would make all the difference in pushing back Russian forces.
Western allies have hesitated to green light their use for fear of escalation between Putin and Nato.
Sir Dearlove said: “I think that Trump is less risk averse than Biden was in terms of how American weapons might be used in Ukraine.
“So you could imagine a situation where he takes the restraints off Ukrainian use of longer range American missile capability which the Ukrainians will have.”
Read more here
Zelensky was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump after his landslide election winAP
Musk was a surprise addition to the phone callReuters