As American elections loom, Zelensky plays balancing act
livemint.comWASHINGTON—Facing an uncertain outcome in U.S. elections in November and no clear pathway to NATO membership for his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed Tuesday in a speech at the beginning of the alliance summit to a traditional vision of U.S. leadership.
He acknowledged that Ukraine’s future might be up for grabs in the coming U.S. presidential election in November. He steered clear of criticizing presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump but did sound a note against U.S.
isolationism, saying that if Ukraine is defeated, Western values will be defeated with it. “I want to be candid and frank: Now everyone is waiting for November, “ he said. “And truly speaking, Putin awaits November too." Zelensky’s speech was his third major appearance in the U.S.
since the Russian invasion in 2022. Shortly after the invasion, he addressed Congress in a speech that was interrupted by standing ovations. But during a subsequent visit, he faced more of an uphill fight, as skepticism over aid to Ukraine had grown among some Republicans.
His appearance Tuesday was hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, part of the traditional Republican establishment that has supported aid to Ukraine. The foundation’s director, Roger Zakheim, said he invited Zelensky as part of the foundation’s agenda promoting Reagan’s belief in a foreign policy based on peace through strength. He noted that Zelensky’s speech comes 40 years after Reagan, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Normandy landings, gave a resounding denunciation of isolationism, which he said “never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent." Retired Army Lt.
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