Photo: Photo.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Russia is cynically manipulating US President Donald Trump by demonstrating its alleged readiness for peace talks to avoid international isolation and new sanctions. The Head of State said this in an interview with the German publication BILD.
“President Trump sees that the Russian side is not entirely open and honest about the war. I think that Russia is simply lying to Trump,” Zelenskyy stressed. According to him, Putin is using the topic of peace as a diplomatic screen, trying to create the illusion of constructiveness with Western players, particularly Washington.
The Ukrainian leader also denied suggestions that the massive Russian drone attacks were “retaliation” for Ukraine’s Operation Pavlina. “Putin is just looking for excuses for new attacks. His goal is not to end the war, but to prolong it,” he stressed.
Zelenskyy noted that the advance of Russian troops, as claimed by the Kremlin, is a manipulative narrative. According to him, the Ukrainian army has been successfully holding back a new wave of offensive for almost three weeks.
Commenting on Putin’s likely motives, Zelenskyy stressed that the Kremlin seeks to negotiate without the EU and the US in order to isolate Ukraine. He stressed that only the West’s strong position, including new sanctions, can force Putin to talk about peace in reality.
“In my opinion, Putin understands only force. And America has this power,” Zelenskyy said, calling for the immediate introduction of stricter restrictions against Russia.
The President also emphasised the value of human life, distinguishing the Ukrainian approach from the Russian one: “People are not firewood that we throw into the fire.”
