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Zelensky said he had no personal grudges against Trump, but he opposed lifting sanctions on Russia, believing it would only strengthen Putin; He also called on allies to maintain pressure and provide more air defense and missile support.
U.S.–Ukrainian relations have recently deteriorated further, and Ukrainian PresidentZelensky (Volodymyr Zelensky) softened his stance in an exclusive interview with CNN today, emphasizing that he and the President of the United Statestrump There are “no personal grudges” between them, but he warned that lifting sanctions against Russia would only make the Russian presidentPutin “Strong”.
CNN reported that relations between the United States and Ukraine have seriously deteriorated over the past few weeks. After Trump announced the agreement to buy fuel from Russia, Zelensky criticized Trump for being “on the wrong side of history.” Trump later waived some sanctions against Russia, sparking criticism even within the Republican Party.
At the same time, the use of Elon Musk’s Starlink service has also been banned by the Ukrainian Army.
In an exclusive interview with CNN in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, Zelensky softened his tone, saying recent strained relations with Trump “have nothing to do with personal grievances,” but he also warned Putin that he had no intention of stopping the war.
He said, “I’m very clear about Putin. I think once we lift sanctions, it will make him stronger. This is not a personal matter between President Trump and me, and I certainly oppose lifting any sanctions.”
Zelensky’s interview with CNN comes as Trump’s special envoy launches a new round of diplomatic blitz to find a solution to the four-and-a-half-year-old Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelensky said his recent meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff in the Norwegian capital Oslo was productive, but he did not believe Putin was sincerely pursuing peace. Following Wyckoff’s visit to Russia yesterday, Putin agreed to talks in November, but gave few specific details.
Zelensky said: “Putin is playing tricks, he has always been good at playing tricks… It’s a pity because he’s playing with other people’s lives, and of course he doesn’t want (a ceasefire). So we hope that our partners will not give him a chance to become stronger and defeat us.”
In an interview, Zelensky hinted at the possibility of closing existing fronts to “cease fire, stop killing, sit down and negotiate”. However, he clearly stressed that it is absolutely impossible for Ukraine to negotiate terms for handing over the territory currently under its control to Russia, and that it will never recognize that the occupied territories belong to Russia.
He said, “Our land is very important because it is about people, not kilometers…Many people have died protecting this land, protecting our freedom and our country.”
Kiev has previously accused the United States of restricting intelligence sharing on Russian missile attacks, slowing the vital Starlink service and delaying weapons deliveries, although there have been signs of easing tensions between the two sides.
Zelensky said earlier this week that the United States had resumed intelligence sharing, but he told CNN that SpaceX’s military-grade Starshield service has not yet been fully restored.
Ukraine currently has a serious shortage of air defense interceptor missiles. Even though the military may get early warning of incoming Russian ballistic missiles, it does not have enough air defense weapons to intercept them. Zelensky said that although European allies provided some anti-aircraft missiles, they were “not enough to defend us.”
He said the two things Ukraine now needs most from its allies are “not lifting sanctions on Putin… and giving us better missiles.”
