Zelenskyy: Trump is aware that the Kremlin is not entirely sincere about the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that US President Donald Trump has the leverage to end the war between Russia and Ukraine – but to do so, he must understand what game Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is playing.
Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Axel Springer Global Reporters Network that Russia "is simply lying to Trump".
"Most heads of state and government share my opinion, and I very much hope that America sees and understands this. That is the most important thing. How you respond to that is America’s decision," he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that Trump has the power to stop the war because "Putin understands nothing but strength, and America has that strength".
He also emphasised that Trump is aware that the Kremlin is not entirely sincere about the war.
Zelenskyy noted that Russia could only be victorious if the West abandoned Ukraine.
In his opinion, an American withdrawal from the war would be an ideal scenario for Putin.
When asked about the quarrel between the US and Ukrainian leaders in the Oval Office in February, Zelenskyy ironically replied that he did not believe that the incident had brought them closer together, while emphasising that it was now in the past.
"Today we must do everything we can to ensure that the next meeting in the Oval Office is successful for both countries," he stressed.
Zelenskyy said that the United States and Ukraine had resumed a constructive dialogue. He added that a personal, friendly meeting between the presidents took place in the Vatican in April.
Trump recently shared details of a recent conversation with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, including his idea that Ukraine and Russia should be allowed to "fight for a while" because it would be easier to stop them later.
He also compared the Russo-Ukrainian war to two children fighting like crazy.
"Sometimes, and this is me speaking, maybe in a negative sense, you see two young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other and are fighting in the park, and you try to pull them apart; they don’t want to be pulled. Sometimes it’s better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart," he said.
In response, Zelenskyy said that Putin is a murderer, not a child on a playground.