Trump and I are on same side, but we have different tools — Zelenskyy on differences with U.S. regarding ending war
Ukraine understands the mindset of Russia and dictator Vladimir Putin better than the United States does, since Ukrainians have lived alongside Russians for a long time. Despite sharing Donald Trump’s desire to end the war, Kyiv and Washington have different views on the means to achieve this goal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during an interview with The Sun, according to Censor.NET.
Whose side is Trump on?
"President Trump and I are on the same side when it comes to the need to end this Russian war. But we see different ways to achieve that goal. My philosophy is that Putin is a deeply Soviet man, both in reality and in his mindset. We know this because my generation was born in the Soviet Union. When Putin lies, we can sense it. We were neighbors with the Russians for so many years. That is precisely why I think we understand Russians better than the United States," Zelenskyy emphasized.
U.S.-Russia Dialogue
According to him, the United States, in light of global security issues, may discuss various matters with the Russians.
"But we understand the mindset of both Putin and the Russian people—their military and civilians alike. We know when they’re ready to take action, and when they’re afraid of Putin because they know they could end up in prison. If they refuse to go out and kill Ukrainians, Putin will punish them in his own way. That is why President Trump has supported us on some issues, while on others we have different views," the head of state added.
Pressure on Ukraine
In addition, he noted that telling the truth is one of our weapons. We must be open and clear.
"Don’t play games with our partners. That’s my rule. Ukraine is under a lot of pressure right now, and, of course, I have to speak up. And I will do so, because it’s part of our defense strategy. We’re not trying to be anyone else. If I sense that there are dangerous threats to Ukraine, I must defend my country. And I’m doing everything I can, just like our soldiers on the battlefield and the people working for Ukraine. And as President, I must use every diplomatic channel available," Zelenskyy noted.
