Zelenskiy Expresses Confidence in Trump but Skepticism Toward Putin
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated on Wednesday that he has “trust” in Trump and believes he could help negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, even though he simultaneously expressed doubts about his “painful” relationship with President Vladimir Putin.
“I trust him [Trump]… He genuinely wants to conclude this war, and I think he has the ability to do so,” the Ukrainian president mentioned during an interview on a YouTube program.
However, he added, “I’m not sure how to discuss relations with President Putin.”
Zelenskiy elaborated that he struggles to “fully comprehend” the dynamics between Trump and Putin but emphasized that it’s not simply a matter of trust.
He noted, “[T]here’s definitely a connection, and it’s often quite painful for me that Trump’s views on President Putin seem more favorable than Putin deserves.”
Throughout his second term, Trump has engaged in direct conversations with Putin as part of efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Europe that began after World War II.
Despite several phone conversations and a meeting in Alaska last October, no peace agreement has been achieved.
Earlier this year, a week-long ceasefire was interrupted when Russia launched a significant attack on a Ukrainian energy facility, shortly after it commenced.
Trump, however, claimed that Putin had “kept his word” and hadn’t breached the terms of any agreements.
“The people are exhausted; they want this tragedy to come to an end. Naturally, we desire to conclude this war as swiftly as possible, but it has to be done dignifiedly,” Zelenskiy remarked, reflecting on the sentiments in Ukraine as the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches.
Zelenskiy also mentioned that the next phase of trilateral negotiations would take place in Switzerland, the previous site for talks, which he believes is significant.
“If the war is being fought in Europe… Europeans must recognize this as an invasion against us and against Europe… That’s why it’s crucial that peace discussions occur in Europe,” he asserted.
Despite facing a “difficult and terrible winter” characterized by Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system, which left civilians without power in frigid conditions, Zelenskiy was adamant that Russian forces have not made any considerable advances on the front lines.
He described Russia’s winter military efforts as yielding “no results on the battlefield,” stating that the invading forces are losing around 35,000 soldiers a month due to casualties.
