Zelenski, skeptical about the resumption of dialogue with Moscow desired by Macron. “Putin's interest is to humiliate”
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, while holding a press conference in Paris on March 27, 2025. PHOTO: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP / Profimedia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday evening, in an interview with France 2, that “Putin's interest is to humiliate Europe”, while French President Emmanuel Macron had said on Tuesday that the resumption of dialogue with the Russian president “is being prepared”.
Vladimir “Putin is not afraid of Europeans, unfortunately”, said the Ukrainian president, according to Le Figaro, quoted by News.ro.
Asked about his relationship with the French head of state, the Ukrainian president first said that Emmanuel Macron is his “friend” and that he recently warned him that he wants to “reopen the dialogue with the Russians”.
Macron announces preparations underway to resume direct talks between Europe and Russia
“He knows my opinion,” he added. “Putin's interest is to humiliate Europe. But it is very important that Emmanuel works to restore peace. It will be beneficial for the whole world if there is no more war in Ukraine. But I think (Europeans') pressure on Putin is not enough,” Zelenskiy said.
“Putin only fears Trump”
The Ukrainian president believes that Vladimir “Putin is only afraid of (Donald) Trump.”
“Unfortunately, Putin is not afraid of Europeans,” he continued. “Because Europeans live in a wonderful, safe world, which they themselves built in a fair way, through their economy and their work,” Zelenski said.
He also appreciated that “Europe is very democratic and wants to give every country a say. But democracy, pure democracy, cannot defeat Putin today, because he does not respect the rules of war”, he warned.
At least 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been “officially” killed on the battlefield since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, four years ago, revealed, on the other hand, Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday evening.
Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin last spoke in early July, mainly about diplomatic efforts to regulate Iran's nuclear program. On this occasion, they expressed their differences regarding Ukraine. Their previous call was dated September 11, 2022 and concerned the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporozhye, occupied by the Russians.
On Tuesday, during a visit to Haute-Saône, the French president emphasized that the resumption of dialogue with Putin “is in preparation”. He stated that this is being done “in transparency and in concert” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “It is important that the Europeans restore their own channels of discussion”, Emmanuel Macron pointed out, given that Donald Trump is the only important Western leader who has a direct dialogue with the Kremlin leader and wants to mediate peace between the Russians and the Ukrainians without prior coordination with the Europeans.
