Trump Set To Meet Ukraine's President Amid Growing Kyiv Concerns Over Botched Visit: 'Republicans Were Looking For Ways To Create A Scandal'

Former President Donald Trump has revealed plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York. This comes despite recent Republican backlash against Zelenskyy’s lobbying activities in the United States.

What Happened: Zelenskyy has been striving to appease U.S. Republicans, including Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who were upset by his outreach to Democrats. The Ukrainian president’s efforts are aimed at securing more support for Ukraine’s position against Russia, reported Financial Times.

Trump announced at a New York press conference that he would meet Zelenskyy on Friday morning at Trump Tower. This follows a letter from Zelenskyy to Trump requesting a meeting to discuss Ukraine’s pursuit of a “just peace”.

Zelenskyy’s outreach to Trump comes in the wake of Republican backlash over his focus on Democratic politicians during the U.S. election campaign. This occurred despite an $8 billion aid package for Ukraine, backed by Republicans.

The GOP backlash has evoked concern in Kyiv with allies of the Ukranian President saying that his U.S. trip was not managed properly.

“It looks like the Republicans were looking for ways to create a scandal but we should have avoided giving them the opportunity. The Republicans will still be strong in Washington. They can block everything,” said a former Ukrainian official, according to FT.

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Why It Matters: The Friday meeting comes after a series of events that have strained relations between the two leaders. According to a previous Benzinga report Trump claimed that Zelenskyy prefers Democrats to win the upcoming 2024 U.S. election.

On Thursday, Trump criticized Zelenskyy after a canceled meeting, accusing him of refusing to negotiate peace and wasting U.S. funds. Trump claimed Zelenskyy insulted him and expressed frustration over continued U.S. financial support for Ukraine.

Zelensky’s recent U.S. visit, including a munitions factory tour in Pennsylvania, has sparked GOP outrage, with Speaker Johnson and House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) calling it a politically motivated event supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. They've launched an investigation, demanding the dismissal of Ukraine’s U.S. ambassador for alleged election interference. Democrats dismissed the claims, viewing Zelensky's visit as a show of gratitude.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal