OREANDA-NEWS  US President Donald Trump praised Russia's military might. He stated this at a meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"Russia has great military power. Many people thought that [the conflict in Ukraine] would end quickly," he said.

Trump stressed that when discussing security issues, one cannot ignore the potential of the Russian army. When asked about security guarantees for Kiev, he replied that this topic would be discussed later.

Earlier, the US president called on NATO countries to shoot down Russian planes if they invade the airspace of the alliance countries.