Trump shifts his stance on Ukraine's president from "the greatest salesman" to "very honorable."

• Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, remains ambiguous about his stance on Ukraine and his admiration for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• During his interview with Elon Musk on Monday, Trump made a surprising statement about the Ukraine situation, saying "I feel worse about the Ukraine situation than anyone." He also praised Zelenskyy as "very honorable" for his handling of the phone call that led to Trump's first impeachment in 2019.

He loves him, he loves him not?

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, remains ambiguous about his stance on Ukraine and his view of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership during the country's conflict.

In his interview with Elon Musk on Monday, Trump claimed that he feels worse about the Ukraine situation than anyone else, despite his previous statements that he could cut off Ukraine's funding if re-elected.

In 2019, Trump's first impeachment was triggered by a phone call with Zelenskyy, whom the Republican frontrunner described as "very honorable" in his handling of the situation.

In a July 2019 phone call, Trump asked Zelenskyy, a political novice, to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who had business dealings in Ukraine, as a favor to him.

Trump was impeached in late 2019 due to allegations that he sought help from Ukraine to boost his chances of re-election in 2020. Despite being acquitted after a two-week Senate trial in early 2020, he vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

At the time, Zelenskyy stated that no blackmail was involved in the conversation with Trump.

During a social media interview with Musk on Monday, Trump mentioned the Zelensky phone call, saying, "Zelensky was very honorable to me because when they spread the Russia hoax and claimed I had a phone call with him, he said it was a perfect call, a great call."

Trump stated, "He could have boasted and declared, 'He was extremely intimidating.' However, he said, 'No, it was a wonderful conversation.'"

Zelenskyy the 'salesman'

The current praise for Zelenskyy is in stark contrast to earlier this year when Trump described Zelenskyy as "maybe the greatest salesman of any politician that's ever lived," implying that Ukraine's receipt of U.S. military aid packages was due to Zelenskyy's diplomatic skills rather than Ukraine's actual needs.

Trump stated in June that he believes Zelenskyy is possibly the greatest salesman of any politician in history. He transitioned from calling the Green New Deal a "scam" to discussing Zelenskyy, stating that he always receives $60 billion when he visits the US. This refers to the major US aid package negotiated by Republicans and Democrats and agreed upon in April.

MSNBC reported that Trump initially said he "likes" Zelenskyy before correcting himself and returning to his criticism of the Ukrainian leader.

Trump stated, "Zelenskyy left four days ago with $60 billion, but upon returning home, he announced the need for another $60 billion. This cycle never ends."

Trump vowed to "settle" the crisis in Ukraine during his post-election presidential term, stating, "Gotta stop it."

In recent months, the ambivalence of Trump towards supporting Ukraine has become more clear, especially as polls indicated he might secure another term in the presidency.

The latest poll by the New York Times and Siena College in early August shows that Vice President Kamala Harris is slightly ahead of Trump in several swing states, indicating that the election race is still up for grabs.

Another phone call

Ukraine must navigate a delicate balance between its supporters in the Democratic Party and the possibility of a Trump presidency, which could result in reduced U.S. financial and military support, or come with conditions.

In July, Trump received the Republican nomination and subsequently stated that he had spoken to President Zelenskyy and had a "very good" conversation.

Trump expressed gratitude to President Zelenskyy for reaching out, stating that as the next President of the United States, he would bring peace to the world and put an end to the war that has resulted in the loss of many lives and the destruction of numerous innocent families.

Trump has not yet stated how he will end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and there are worries that he and his team may pressure Kyiv to surrender land. However, he believes that both sides can come together to negotiate a deal that will put an end to the violence and lead to a prosperous future.

At the time, President Zelenskyy stated that he and Trump had agreed to discuss the steps necessary for a fair and lasting peace at a personal meeting.