He warned Europeans against any reduction in pressure on the Russian leader.
“Hugs with Putin won’t help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse. He only thinks about wars and won’t change. Only pressure can impose limits,” he insisted.
Ukraine, whose army has been retreating for months before the much more numerous and better armed Russian forces, “needs sufficient weapons, and not support in the talks” with Moscow, Mr. Zelensky said. .
These statements come the day after the victory in the American presidential election of Republican Donald Trump, who promised to end the war in Ukraine “in 24 hours”.
His return to the White House makes Ukraine and Europeans fear an American disengagement in the coming months, which could have catastrophic consequences for kyiv.
In this context, Mr. Zelensky declared Thursday in Budapest that the links between the United States and Europe must not be “lost” but “valued” after Mr. Trump’s victory.
