President Javier Milei spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, one day before a high-profile meeting between US President Donald Trump with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Putin and Trump are due to meet on Friday at the Elmendorf-Richardson US Air Force base for talks over a potential agreement that will end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to reports, the aim of the meeting is to reach a "settlement" to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has now been ongoing for four years.
However, Trump was more cautious about the meeting and its possible outcomes, suggesting it would "lay the groundwork for a second meeting" if all goes well.
"I had a good conversation with the President of Argentina, Javier Milei. Of course, we discussed the situation diplomatically. I informed him about recent contacts with our partners and emphasised that our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine needs a just peace and reliable security guarantees," Zelenskyy said in a post on his X account.
The Ukrainian leader stated that "Javier is willing to collaborate personally to achieve this," according to what the libertarian reportedly conveyed during their talk.
Upon taking office, Milei showed strong support for Zelenskyy, though he had to readjust his stance after his main international ally, Trump, distanced himself from the Ukrainian leader and began calling for an agreement to end the war as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy said that talks with Argentina’s head of state had also involved economic matters.
"We also spoke about Argentina’s economic achievements, particularly deregulation and overcoming inflation. I congratulated Javier on these important results. Ukraine is interested in studying this experience and we discussed a potential opportunity to do so," Zelenskyy continued in his message.
He then focused on bilateral relations: "At present, relations between our countries are reaching a truly high level. We spoke about this in detail. Technology, the economy, agricultural industry: there are many areas for potential cooperation."
"We also agreed to resume the format of political consultations between our Ministries of Foreign Affairs. Our teams will work actively to ensure these take place as soon as possible," added Zelenskyy.
Finally, Zelensky hinted that he had extended an invitation to his Argentine counterpart to visit him in Kyiv. "We agreed on our future contacts and I will be delighted to welcome Javier to Ukraine," he concluded.
Alaska meet
Trump is turning history on its head with his Alaska summit with Putin – inviting Russia's leader to land that once belonged to Moscow and meeting him at a military base that monitored the Soviet Union.
The location is all the more striking as Putin is under indictment by the International Criminal Court, with Friday's summit marking the first time he has been allowed in a Western country since he invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The two leaders will meet at Elmendorf Air Force Base, which goes by the motto "Top Cover for North America."
Trump has said that Putin suggested the summit and it is unclear to what extent the Republican president thought through the symbolism of the base or Alaska, still yearned for by some Russian nationalists.
Russia had settled Alaska from the 18th century but, struggling to make its colony profitable and crippled by the Crimean War, Tsar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867.
Then secretary of state William Seward was ridiculed for the purchase, dubbed "Seward's Folly" due to the perceived lack of value of Alaska, but the territory later proved to be strategically crucial.
Trump has long voiced admiration for Putin and had vowed to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of returning to the White House.
But he has since voiced frustration as Putin ignores his pleas for a ceasefire and presses ahead with attacks on Ukraine.
– TIMES/NA/AFP
Comments