In an interview with Politico, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told US president Donald Trump that if he really wants to end the war, he should increase pressure on Russian president Vladimir Putin, not on Kyiv.
Zelenskyy’s comments came a week after Trump had expressed renewed frustration with him, saying the Ukrainian leader should ‘get on the ball’ and do a deal.
Trump suggested he has more faith in Kremlin leader Putin’s willingness to negotiate a ceasefire than in Zelenskyy’s.
The Ukrainian leader emphasised that Ukraine supports peace talks but is not prepared to accept Russia’s ultimatum or give up large territories in the east of the country. According to him, Ukrainians are tired after more than four years of fighting, but morale remains high.
Zelenskyy also openly admitted that there is deep personal hatred between him and Putin.
Kyiv is waiting for clearer security guarantees from the US, which should form the basis of any peace agreement.
Ukraine is trying to help its American allies by sending teams of experts to combat drones in the Persian Gulf, where they are to help defend against Iranian Shahed drones. In return, it hopes to receive PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems, although it realises that the United States is currently using them intensively in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy also called on the European Union to prepare a plan B for financing Ukraine, as Hungary is blocking a €90 billion EU loan and Slovakia is threatening to do the same.
When asked whether he had gone too far in making physical threats against Orbán, Zelenskyy replied that he did not believe that ‘diplomatic silence’ was ‘very useful’ when it came to negotiations with the Hungarian prime minister.
‘He’s standing on the side of [the] Russian leader. He’s doing the same, blocking everything for Ukraine. Only one thing he doesn’t do today, he is not attacking our territory with missiles or drones,’ Zelenskyy said of Orbán. ‘And he is not sending his soldiers.’
(pir)