Today at 14:22
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he considers it “short-sighted” for the United States to believe that Vladimir Putin would end the war if Ukraine agreed to give up parts of Donbas that are not yet occupied by Russia, UATV English reports.
Zelenskyy said this in an interview with the Financial Times.
“Frankly, I do not believe that this is all Russia is demanding. Our withdrawal from Donbas — and then the war will end? Russia is Russia, and you know that it cannot be trusted,” the President of Ukraine said.
The head of state criticized the idea of a temporary ceasefire. Zelenskyy stressed that any halt in hostilities without reliable Western security guarantees would be used by Russia to rebuild its forces for a new offensive.
He rejected Putin’s claims that a pause is allegedly needed by Ukraine to regroup, calling it “demagoguery and lies.”
“We do not need a pause. We need the end of the war,” the president emphasized.
Zelenskyy also stated that the pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Ukraine regarding territorial concessions is currently much stronger than the pressure on Russia.
The president urged the United States to hit the Kremlin’s “wallet” rather than force Ukraine into capitulation.
“It is costly for the Russians when their shadow fleet is stopped, when their companies and their ability to trade and export energy resources are restricted, and when sanctions evasion schemes are cut off,” Zelenskyy said.
At the same time, the president emphasized that he relies first and foremost on the Ukrainian army and domestic weapons production.
Earlier, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated that Russia’s imperial ambitions do not stop at Ukraine but are aimed at the whole of Europe.
Russian ruler and war criminal Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia will continue a large-scale buildup of its military potential and has called on society for total militarization.
Zelenskyy also said that the Russians are “playing games” with the United States in peace talks and have no real intention of ending the war.
He accused the Russian leader of using rapprochement with Donald Trump to weaken Kyiv’s negotiating position. Asked about the progress of peace talks, he said that “the Russians are playing games” and have no serious intention of ending the war.
“I see this because they are very bad actors. They are playing with Trump and playing with the whole world. That’s how it is. Putin thinks he looks convincing and that he can be trusted. No — he is a bad actor,” Zelenskyy said.
He called the idea that Putin would stop the war if Ukraine ceded eastern Donbas short-sighted.
“Frankly, I do not believe that this is all Russia is demanding. Our withdrawal from Donbas — and then the war will end? Russia is Russia, and you know that it cannot be trusted,” the head of state noted.
He said that the pressure Donald Trump had exerted on Kyiv to make concessions for peace was far greater than the pressure on Moscow. However, the president still hopes that his counterpart in Washington will change his approach.
“It is costly for the Russians to stop their ‘shadow fleet,’ to halt their companies, their ability to trade and export energy resources from Russia, and to stop sanctions evasion,” Zelenskyy said, urging Trump to pressure the sectors that finance the Kremlin’s war machine.
“I hope that President Trump and the United States will put pressure on Russia and stop Putin. But I rely first and foremost on Ukrainian citizens, our army, and our production,” Zelenskyy added.
In an address marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of a visit by the U.S. president to Ukraine so that he could understand that pressure must be applied to Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukraine expects the next round of negotiations with the United States and Russia closer to February 27.
