Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to meet future US President Donald Trump to agree on a peace plan before any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“First with Trump: we agree with him on how to end the war, how to stop Putin,” Volodymyr Zelensky said in a three-hour interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, also saying that he was “very “important that Europe has a voice” in the discussions.
“Trump and I will reach an agreement. I am sure that he will be able to offer strong security guarantees with Europe. And then we will be able to talk to the Russians,” he said.
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The interview, recorded at the end of December in kyiv, covered many topics. It was led by Lex Fridman in Russian, with Volodymyr Zelensky responding in Ukrainian. The initial version of the interview video, however, only provided English dubbing performed by artificial intelligence.
“I see now that when I talk about something with Donald Trump, whether in person or on the phone, all European leaders ask me how it went,” the Ukrainian president said. “This shows the influence of Donald Trump, and this has never happened before with an American president, from my own experience,” added Volodymyr Zelensky before insisting: “It makes you confident that he can put an end to this war.”
“I really count on him”
The Ukrainian president was very complimentary towards the future American president, who will return to the White House on January 20. “I love President Trump’s message when he speaks. I think we share this idea of peace through strength, which is very important,” he said.
The Republican’s victory in the elections last November cast doubt on the future of American support for Ukraine, with the future American president having promised to end the war “in twenty-four hours”. For Volodymyr Zelensky, these assertions from Donald Trump “are not just words”.
“I really count on him and I think our people really count on him,” he said. “He has enough power to put pressure on (…) Putin,” added the Ukrainian leader.
Volodymyr Zelensky also said he prays that Donald Trump does not withdraw the United States from NATO – as the Republican has threatened to do – because such a withdrawal would represent “the biggest risk” for security in Europe, according to the Ukrainian president. The latter also said he did not want “the same situation as with Biden”, asserting that sanctions against Russia and arms deliveries to Ukraine had come too late.
