Zelensky refused to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago: Time named the reason.

The team of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused the offer to meet with US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence because it could be perceived as support for his election campaign.

According to Time, the Ukrainian authorities have been trying for several months to establish contacts with Trump's entourage, hoping for his support in case of a victory in the US presidential election.

"There is a certain level of hope for Trump," Time quotes an anonymous Ukrainian official. At the same time, Kyiv understands the risks associated with a possible Republican victory.

Instead of a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, the Ukrainian side proposed a more neutral option - a joint interview on an American TV channel. However, plans fell through after Zelensky's visit to a weapons factory in Biden's hometown - Scranton.

This caused a sharp reaction from Trump, who at a rally in Pennsylvania called Zelensky "the best salesman in the world," who "leaves the US with $100 billion every time."

Despite this, the Ukrainian authorities do not cease attempts to establish contact with Trump. "We still have to try," said a Ukrainian official from Zelensky's entourage.

According to Simon Shuster, Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk hired former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway as a lobbyist in Washington for $50,000 a month.

In an interview with The New Yorker, Zelensky admitted that it would be difficult for him to convince Trump: "My feeling is that Trump actually does not know how to stop the war, even if he thinks he knows."

Trump has previously expressed harsh criticism of Zelensky.