Donald Trump has agreed to a surprise meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Trump Tower on Friday, reversing his earlier stance amid sharp criticism of Zelensky on the campaign trail. This development comes just days after Trump publicly chastised Zelensky for not reaching a peace deal with Moscow.

The former U.S. president, who had initially indicated that a meeting was highly unlikely, now seems open to discussions, despite their fraught history. Trump was impeached in 2019 over allegations that he pressured Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son, a relationship that has been marked by tension ever since.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Trump has often echoed Moscow’s viewpoints on the conflict. During a recent presidential debate, he avoided directly answering whether he supports Ukraine’s victory. However, at a New York press conference on Thursday, Trump reiterated his belief that he could broker peace between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin quickly, though he provided no specifics on how.

“It’s a shame what’s happening in Ukraine. So many deaths, so much destruction. It’s a horrible thing,” Trump said.

The meeting comes amid growing tensions between Zelensky and the Republican Party, especially after the Ukrainian leader’s visit to an arms factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania—President Joe Biden’s hometown. Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, accused Zelensky of turning the visit into a “partisan campaign event” to benefit Democrats, calling it “election interference.”

Trump has also ramped up his criticism of continued U.S. financial support for Ukraine, recently dubbing Zelensky the “greatest salesman on Earth.” Zelensky, in contrast, expressed doubts about Trump’s ability to end the war, telling *The New Yorker* that the former president “doesn’t really know how to stop the war.”

When asked about Zelensky’s remarks, Trump responded, “I do believe I disagree with him. He doesn’t know me.”