Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska gave the Russian chief what he wished.
“It is a pity that Ukraine was not there, as a result of I believe that President Trump gave, gave Putin what he wished,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “He had — he wished, , he wished very a lot to satisfy with President Trump, with the president of the United States. And I believe that, and I believe that Putin received it. And, it is a pity.”
The Ukrainian president added, “Putin does not wish to meet with me, however he needs very a lot to satisfy with the president of the US, to point out all people video and pictures that he’s there.”
Zelenskyy spoke to ABC Information Chief World Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz Friday in an interview that aired on ABC Information’ “This Week” on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Martha Raddatz of ABC Information.
ABC Information
Zelenskyy’s feedback got here days earlier than Russia launched greater than 800 drones and different munitions throughout Ukraine in a single day Saturday, together with the capital metropolis of Kyiv, the place the federal government’s cupboard constructing was struck. The assaults left a minimum of eight civilians useless and injured 59 others throughout the nation. Ukraine’s Air Drive described the assault as a file assault.
Because the struggle in Ukraine drags on, Trump has continued to push — to this point, unsuccessfully — for a gathering between Putin and Zelenskyy as he seeks to carry the yearslong battle to an in depth. This week, a Trump-imposed two-week deadline for peace talks between Putin and Zelenskyy got here and went.
Talking with Raddatz from a bombed-out American-owned manufacturing facility in Ukraine, Zelenskyy mentioned that he believed that to finish the struggle, extra strain from American and European allies in opposition to Russia is required.
“You speak about extra sanctions and extra tariffs and extra assist from President Trump. And you’ve got advised him you assume he has the ability to do that. And but the deadlines go time and again and one other one has handed,” Raddatz mentioned.
“All of us perceive that we want extra strain on Putin. We’d like strain from the US. And I mentioned that I believe that President Trump is correct in regards to the Europeans — I’m very grateful to all of the companions. However a few of them, I imply, they proceed to purchase oil and Russian fuel. And this isn’t truthful…So now we have to cease shopping for any form of vitality from Russia,” he mentioned.
“This is just one, a method [of] the way to cease the killer. You should take off his, I imply, to take off his weapon. Vitality is his weapon,” Zelenskyy added.
On a attainable assembly with Putin, Zelenskyy mentioned the Russian president proposed phrases for a gathering that he couldn’t settle for, and that Putin was “enjoying video games with the US.”
“He mentioned he’ll meet in the event you come to Moscow,” Raddatz mentioned to Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy scoffed.
“He can come to Kyiv,” he mentioned.
“I am unable to go to Moscow underneath — when my nation is underneath missiles, underneath assaults every day,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “I am unable to go to this capital of this terrorist. It is comprehensible. And he understands it.”
“It is the identical proposition, as I mentioned, that he has to return to Kyiv. So it is comprehensible that he’s doing it … to once more, to postpone the assembly we set,” he added.
However Zelenskyy famous that the potential for a bilateral assembly between the 2 warring leaders shouldn’t be out of the query — simply not on Russian territory.
“I mentioned, look, Mr. President, I am prepared for any form of assembly — however not in Russia — any form of assembly, bilateral, trilateral. We’ll be completely satisfied if you’ll be in,” he mentioned.
As for the lengthy wanted safety ensures that Ukraine has requested from American and European allies within the occasion of an finish to the struggle, Zelenskyy mentioned that “any safety ensures in Ukraine may be based mostly solely on our military.”
“I believe that, that President [Trump] needs to complete this struggle. But when we discuss simply and lasting peace, it is necessary to complete and to not have risk … to have aggression once more in six months, in a single yr, in two years. It isn’t solely necessary solely to cease the struggle. Sure, it is crucial, however to have a long-lasting peace, to have safety,” he mentioned.
Requested by Raddatz what victory appears to be like like for his embattled nation, Zelenskyy mentioned the survival of Ukraine.
“Putin’s objective is to occupy Ukraine,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“[Putin] needs, after all, to occupy us completely. For him, this [is] victory. And till he can do it, the victory is on our facet,” he mentioned. “In order that’s why for us to outlive is a victory. As a result of we’re surviving with our identification, with our nation, with our independence.”
