Zelenskyy: Nothing personal with Trump, but lifting sanctions will make Putin stronger
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his disagreements with US President Donald Trump were "not about personalities". He warned, however, that lifting any sanctions would only strengthen Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
He made the remarks in an interview with CNN on Thursday, Censor.NET reports.
On Trump
Zelenskyy spoke in conciliatory terms about his dispute with Trump, but stressed that the Russian dictator had no intention of ending the war.
"My position on Putin is very clear. I think that if we lift sanctions, we will make him stronger. This is not something personal between President Trump and me, and of course I oppose lifting any sanctions," he said.
On Putin
Zelenskyy described his meeting with Witkoff in Oslo as productive but said he did not believe the Kremlin wanted peace.
"Putin is playing games, you know. He is a player. It is a shame because he plays with other people’s lives, and of course he does not want (to stop the war). So we want our partners not to give him the chance to become stronger and break us," the president said.
Context
- CNN notes that relations between Kyiv and Washington have worsened in recent weeks. Zelenskyy said Trump was "on the wrong side of history" when he announced a deal to buy Russian fuel and subsequently lifted some sanctions on Russia, drawing criticism even from Republicans.
- On Wednesday, Witkoff spoke with Putin for three hours in St. Petersburg and called him a "humanitarian" over the decision to release 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard. Trump said the same day that tightening sanctions would have meant Hubbard remained in prison.
