Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN on Thursday that the recent tensions in Ukrainian-American relations are not about anything personal between him and U.S. President Donald Trump. He stressed that lifting sanctions on Russia strengthens Vladimir Putin.
Relations between the United States and Ukraine have deteriorated significantly in recent weeks, CNN noted. Zelenskyy said Trump is “on the wrong side of history” after the American president announced a deal to buy Russian diesel fuel. Trump also suspended some of the sanctions on Russia provided for in the so-called Graham act, drawing criticism even from members of his own party. Ukrainian forces are also facing restrictions on access to the Starlink service, operated by Elon Musk’s company, the outlet noted.
As the network pointed out, Zelenskyy struck a conciliatory tone in Thursday’s interview, saying the tensions “are not about personal matters.”
“We have our partners. They are the United States. We must maintain strong relations with the American administration and Congress, and also secure bipartisan support. All of this is very important, because it is not about days or about specific people,” Zelenskyy told CNN.
“My position on Putin is very clear. I believe that if we lift sanctions, we will strengthen him. That is why, as president, I cannot allow it. This is not about anything personal between me and President Trump. Of course, I oppose lifting any sanctions. I have always said so to our European partners and directly to representatives of the American administration,” he added.
“Of course I know what I am doing. I must strengthen myself, my country, my people and my army, not my enemy. I think that is a very clear and honest approach on our part,” Zelenskyy continued.
“That is why I know that if you give Putin something, he will want to get everything,” he said.
Zelenskyy said his recent meeting in Oslo with Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, was fruitful, but that he is not convinced Putin truly seeks peace. “Putin is playing his own game, he is a gambler,” Zelenskyy said.
“It’s sad, because he is toying with other people’s lives and, of course, does not want to (end the war). That is why we want our partners not to give him the opportunity to strengthen himself and break us,” he added in the CNN interview.
Zelenskyy suggested the possibility of freezing the current front line in order to “bring about a ceasefire, stop the bloodshed, sit down to talks and negotiate.”
At the same time, he made clear that handing Ukrainian territory over to Russia is out of the question.
“No one will recognize the territories that are temporarily occupied as Russian territory, and I think Russia understands that. It’s a pity if someone doesn’t understand it, but that is their business,” the Ukrainian president added.
Zelenskyy also said that the Starshield system, the military version of Starlink, has not yet been fully restored in Ukraine. He said Ukraine’s European allies have delivered a certain number of missiles for air defense systems, but “it is not enough” to be able to defend itself.
The Ukrainian president stressed that Ukraine currently needs two things above all from its allies: that they not lift the sanctions imposed on Russia, and that they supply Ukraine with better missiles.
From Washington, Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)
