Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rapidly congratulated Donald Trump while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rightist government celebrated his victory in the US presidential election.
Zelenskiy, in a message shortly after Trump claimed victory, praised the election win as “impressive” and said he looked forward to an “era of a strong United States of America under President Trump’s decisive leadership.”
The speed of the message aimed to quickly build ties with the next administration in Washington amid persistent uncertainty over what a Trump presidency would mean for the war.
Under Democratic President Joe Biden, the United States has poured in tens of billions of dollars in military and financial aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Trump has criticised the level of U.S. support, refused to say he wants Ukraine to win the war and promised to end the conflict before he takes office in January, without explaining how.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs,” Zelenskiy wrote in his statement.
