Zelenskyy: I won’t give Putin a single percent to accuse Ukraine of refusing peace
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his support for all proposals by US President Donald Trump aimed at stopping the war and leaving the Kremlin no opportunity to accuse Ukraine of refusing peace, according to the head of state’s interview with the US channel TBN.
"I don’t want to give Putin a single percent so that it could be said that, because of Ukraine, we cannot have peace," Zelenskyy said.
According to the President of Ukraine, he supported all of Trump’s ideas — including the negotiations in Istanbul, the demand for an immediate ceasefire, concluding a peace agreement, and holding trilateral or bilateral talks. However, the Russian President always refuses all of these steps.
"I repeat once again that Putin is trying to avoid any negotiations. Putin is trying to buy a pause in sanctions policy… He tries to manipulate and gain time, using various reasons why the United States should wait a little and not exert such pressure," Zelenskyy explained.
The President emphasized that, for the Kremlin, the US remains an enemy.
"Putin is a potential liar… For Russia, the United States is an enemy in any case. They respect the power that the United States possesses, but not its values."
Zelenskyy said that on August 18, he had "a very good conversation with Trump and his team."
"I think it’s important that we demonstrated unity between Europe and Ukraine. And I am glad that President Trump supported my idea to hold a joint summit," the Ukrainian leader noted.
The meeting discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine and the Kremlin’s actions. Zelenskyy believes that Trump could pressure Putin to come to the negotiating table and bring peace to Ukraine and all of Europe.
Strong pressure needed
The President emphasized that the US is involved in providing security guarantees to Ukraine, but urgent and detailed steps are necessary.
Answering a question about whether US pressure is sufficient, Zelenskyy said:
"It’s not enough, and President Trump knows my view… If Putin delays any peace negotiations again, we truly count on strong US pressure on Russia."
According to the President, a comprehensive approach is needed: sanctions, large arms packages, and political pressure.
"Sanctions alone are not enough, weapons alone are not enough. It has to be a combination of sanctions, weapons, and political pressure from President Trump on Putin," Zelenskyy noted.
The President stressed that Ukraine must use all opportunities to force Moscow into dialogue.
"We cannot trust Putin… We must use every powerful tool to pressure him. Pressure through Trump. To sit and talk… To stop the killing of people," Zelenskyy emphasized.
It is worth noting that Zelenskyy’s last conversation with European leaders and Trump took place after the Coalition of the Willing meeting. During that conversation, Trump did not make clear commitments regarding new sanctions on Russia. As a result, the Coalition of the Willing is urgently sending a delegation to the US.
Meanwhile, Putin stated that he "sees no point" in meeting with Zelenskyy. According to him, he "does not see much sense, and it will be impossible to reach an agreement with Ukraine."
The President of Ukraine refused a meeting in the Russian capital, explaining that "when you want a meeting not to happen, you have to invite me to Moscow."
