'I stayed at Trump Tower': Ukraine president's call with Trump shows how far world leaders can go to massage his ego

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'I stayed at Trump Tower': Ukraine president's call with Trump shows how far world leaders can go to massage his ego

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Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump

Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump meet at a United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2019.

  • A phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shows how world leaders can try to suck up to Trump.
  • The call saw Zelensky compliment Trump's plane, conspicuously mention that he stayed in Trump Tower, recycle a Trump campaign slogan, and call him a "great teacher."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Details of the phone call between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were released by the White House on Wednesday.

As well as causing a political explosion, they show the uncomfortable lengths other leaders can go to in order to flatter the notoriously praise-hungry US president.

The memo, which summarizes the half-hour exchange between the two men, includes exchanges about a potential investigation of Trump's political rival Joe Biden, which has led impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Read more: The notes on Trump's call with Ukraine's president hint at a quid pro quo over investigating Joe Biden's son

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But, aside from that, it is an unusually frank window into international diplomacy which both men expected would remain private.

The exchange is striking for the sycophancy Zelensky displays towards Trump. Here are some of the most notable examples:

Zelensky credited Trump for his election victory in Ukraine:

"We did win big and we worked hard for [victory]. We worked a lot but I would like to confess to you that I had an opportunity to learn from you. We used quite a few of your skills and knowledge and were able to use it as an example for our elections and yes it is true that these were unique elections."

He said he copied Trump's agenda, and name-dropped his "Drain the swamp" slogan from the 2016 campaign:

"We are trying to work hard because we wanted to drain the swamp here in our country. We brought in many many new people. Not the old politicians, not the typical politicians, because we want to have a new format and a new type of government. You are a great teacher for us and in that."

Zelensky name-dropped Trump Tower, and said that he stayed there:

"I would like to tell you that I also have quite a few Ukrainian friends that live in the United States. Actually last time I traveled to the United States, I stayed in New York near Central Park and I stayed at the Trump Tower."

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He said that Air Force One is "probably much better" than his plane:

"After that, it might be a very good idea for you to travel to Ukraine. We can either take my plane and go to Ukraine or we can take your plane, which is probably much better than mine."

Here is the full account of the call (note that it is not a precise transcript):

The call also showed Trump flattering Zelensky, telling him that he has done a "fantastic job" and describing his electoral campaign, which he ran after working as a comedian, as a big victory.

"The way you came from behind, somebody who wasn't given much of a chance, and you ended up winning easily. It's a fantastic achievement. Congratulations," Trump said.

Read more about the Ukraine scandal:

Trump aides were so afraid he'd pressure Ukraine to investigate Biden that they tried to derail his call with the Ukrainian president

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Nancy Pelosi said there's one key reason why she finally moved forward on impeachment

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