- An 2019 clip of a meeting between
Volodymyr Zelenskyy andDonald Trump has resurfaced. - In the clip,
Trump suggests Zelenskyy "get together" with Vladimir Putin to solve their "problem."
An old video has resurfaced on Twitter of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appearing to look alarmed and disgusted at then-President Donald Trump's suggestion that Zelenskyy "get together" with Russian President Vladimir Putin to solve their "problem."
The video was taken during a meeting on September 25, 2019, between Zelenskyy and Trump, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. At the time, the meeting made the
Initially posted by a journalist, Aaron Rupar, in 2019, the video was reposted by the historian Heather Cox Richardson, a professor at Boston College, on Tuesday.
As of press time, the tweet had been retweeted more than 6,000 times and liked about 26,000 times. The original video from Rupar has now been viewed more than 2.4 million times.
—Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR) (@HC_Richardson) April 19, 2022
In the clip, Trump leaned toward Zelenskyy and loudly said: "I really hope that you and President Putin can get together and solve your problem."
At the time, Russian-backed troops were involved in smaller-scale military skirmishes in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
"That would be a tremendous achievement," Trump said. "And I know you're trying to do that."
Zelenskyy's eyes widened after the suggestion, and he did not reply to the US leader.
Zoomed-in versions of the 2019 clip were also widely retweeted on Twitter, showing a clearer picture of Zelenskyy's response.
—George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 19, 2022
During the same session at the
Trump was impeached for the first time several months after this meeting, in December 2019, for attempting to solicit