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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has discussed his relationship with US President Donald Trump, saying tensions between Kyiv and Washington are not rooted in personal differences.
In an interview with CNN, Zelenskyy said he opposed lifting sanctions on Russia, arguing that doing so would strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“My attitude toward Putin is absolutely clear. I believe that if we lift sanctions, we will make him stronger. This is nothing personal between me and President Trump, and, of course, I oppose lifting any sanctions,” Zelenskyy said.
What Ukraine needs
Zelenskyy said European partners had supplied Ukraine with some air defense missiles, but the deliveries were insufficient to protect the country.
He identified two key priorities for Ukraine’s allies:
Maintaining sanctions against Putin’s Russia.
Providing Ukraine with better missiles.
Peace efforts
Zelenskyy described a meeting in Oslo as productive but questioned whether Putin genuinely wanted peace, accusing the Russian leader of playing with people’s lives and refusing to end the war.
“We want our partners not to give him the opportunity to become stronger and break us,” he said.
Zelenskyy also suggested that freezing the current front lines could be an option, but not at the cost of surrendering Ukrainian territory.
“Many people have died defending this land, our independence, our country. Nobody will recognize these temporarily occupied territories as Russian, and I think Russia understands that. It is unfortunate if someone does not understand this, but that is their business,” he said.
Earlier, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence had obtained important information about Russia’s intentions, including its priorities for further attacks on Ukrainians in the coming weeks.
He has also described freezing hostilities along the current front line as a realistic path toward ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
