Following a last-minute meeting with President Zelensky on Friday morning, President Trump pledges that, if elected, he will work to broker a “fair deal” between Russia and Ukraine to end the war. 

“I learned a lot, but I think I haven’t changed from the standpoint that we both want to see this end and we both want to see a fair deal made. And it’s got to be fair, and I think that’ll happen at the right time. I think it’s going to happen,” Trump said while appearing on Fox News with Mr. Zelensky following the meeting.

He continued: “It should stop, and the president wants it to stop. I’m sure President Putin wants it to stop, and that’s a good combination. So, we want to have a fair deal for everybody.”

However, when asked what a “fair” deal would look like, Trump did not provide a definitive answer, adding that it’s “too early to say.” He noted that “I have my own ideas and I’m sure the president definitely has his own ideas.” 

The Ukrainian president added in his two cents, reiterating that the war shouldn’t have been started by Mr. Putin and that “we need to do everything to pressure him to stop this war. He is in our territory. That’s the most important.” 

The interview, which marked their first meeting in five years, ended with an unusual display of warmth between the two political figures as Mr. Zelensky invited Trump to come to Ukraine — “You have to, by the way, come to see all us,” he said. 

“I will,” Trump responded, adding, “It’s a beautiful country.”

The post-meeting discussion marked a more comfortable exchange than what was seen earlier in the day when Mr. Zelensky first arrived at the Trump Tower in New York City. During their first interaction, Trump told reporters that he and the Ukrainian leader have a “very good relationship” — not before adding that “I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin.” To which Mr. Zelensky interjected: “I hope we have more good relations between us.”

The meeting comes as Trump has become more critical of Mr. Zelensky’s handling of the war, claiming at a rally just this week that the president “refuses to make a deal” with Russia. The meeting itself was initially canceled by Trump after Mr. Zelensky visited an ammunition plant over the weekend in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, alongside the Democratic Governor, Josh Shapiro, which sparked outrage from members of the GOP who viewed the trip as politically motivated. Relations were further strained after Trump’s running mate, Senator Vance, called the Ukrainian leader “too radical” in an interview with the New Yorker.