Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski has claimed that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has no intention of ending the war, emphasizing that Ukraine’s allies should not allow him to grow stronger. In a recent interview with CNN, Zelenski’s comments come amidst renewed diplomatic efforts from the Trump administration to resolve the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
American envoy Steve Witkoff met with Zelenski in Norway on Tuesday and traveled to St. Petersburg on Wednesday for his ninth face-to-face discussion with President Putin, as reported by Reuters. During these talks, Putin announced the release of an American accused of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine, and the Kremlin indicated that he was willing to resume U.S.-mediated peace negotiations with Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president’s interview coincides with escalating tensions between Washington and Kyiv.
Zelenski stated, “My position on Putin is very clear. I believe that if we lift the sanctions, we will make him stronger. It is not something personal between me and President Trump, and I am, of course, against any lifting of sanctions.” He elaborated, “Putin is playing a game; he is a player. It’s a shame because he is playing with the lives of other people and, of course, does not want to stop the war. Therefore, we want our partners not to give him the opportunity to become stronger and break us.”
Zelenski on Front Line Stalemate and Air Defense Needs
Zelenski mentioned the possibility of a ceasefire along current lines to halt violence and allow for negotiations, but he firmly ruled out any prospect of Ukraine ceding territory currently held by Russia. “Our land is very important because it is about people. It is not about kilometers,” he explained. “Many people have died defending this land, defending our independence, our country,” the Ukrainian president emphasized.
“No one will recognize these territories, which are temporarily occupied, as Russian territories, and I believe Russia understands this. It is a shame if someone does not understand, but that is their business,” he added.
In light of the tensions between Trump’s administration and Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied on Tuesday that there was a political directive deliberately affecting Ukraine but acknowledged potential delays in delivering interceptor missiles due to other military needs, according to EFE.
In Thursday’s interview, Zelenski also stated that European allies have provided Ukraine with a series of air defense missiles, but he stressed, “it is not enough for us to defend ourselves.” He asserted that Ukraine primarily needs two things from its allies: “Not to lift the sanctions imposed on Putin… and to provide us with better missiles.”
