Zelenskyy backs Trump’s rhetoric on putting pressure on Putin

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has expressed support for President Donald Trump’s statements about possible negotiations with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, or increased economic pressure on Moscow. He called this position "fair", noting that Putin fears Trump’s strong support for Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it in an interview with Fox News.

Zelenskyy believes Trump can put pressure on Putin

"This is exactly what Putin is afraid of. He doesn’t want strong Trump to support Ukraine, because it would be a strong Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

In an interview on Fox News, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has regained control of half of the territories occupied by Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. He emphasized that Ukraine wants a just end to the war, but does not recognize the occupation of its lands and does not want to lose more people.

"We would like to achieve a just end to this war. We are not afraid. Russia is not that strong, but we don’t want to lose more of our lives, men and women," he told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Last week, Trump, for his part, threatened Putin via Truth Social, urging him to make a deal to end the war or face stiff tariffs and sanctions. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine needs more international pressure on the Kremlin, particularly from China, as well as broader security guarantees from the United States. He noted that Europe does not have the strength to contain Russia without American support.

The United States refused to provide Ukraine with preventive assistance before the beginning of Russia’s invasion 

Zelenskyy also said that before the beginning of Russia’s invasion, he personally called on then-President Joe Biden and his administration to impose preventive sanctions and provide Ukraine with arms, but the United States agreed to help only after the outbreak of hostilities. He noted that European countries could not act independently without the approval of the United States, which left Ukraine alone in the face of a large-scale attack.

"At the same time, I asked the European Union countries, and they could not do it without the approval of the United States. So they always look to the leader, to the United States, as the leader. So, during the great invasion, Ukrainians were left alone, and we fought alone," he said. 

The President of Ukraine expressed hope that Trump would be on Ukraine’s side and would be able to force Putin to peace. Zelenskyy emphasized that he expects not just a documentary agreement, but real support and a fair resolution of the conflict.

As a reminder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently reacted to the pause in support from the United States and instructed Ukrainian officials to clarify which programs have been suspended. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke about the reaction of the former President of the United States Barack Obama to the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine and the "little green men".