Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in a cease-fire and is instead seeking Ukraine’s “total defeat.”
He added that only strong, sustained pressure from the United States and Europe could force Putin to retreat.
“Then they will stop the war,” he said.
During the interview, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of U.S. support, while delicately countering President Donald Trump’s earlier comment to the broadcaster that he believes Putin wants peace.
“With all due respect to President Trump, of course – I think it’s just his personal opinion,” Zelenskyy said. “I feel strongly that Putin does not want to finish this war. In his mind, it’s impossible to end this war without the total defeat of Ukraine.”
“Trust me, we understand the Russians much better – the mentality of the Russians – than Americans do. We have been neighbors for ages,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader was careful not to criticize Trump directly, noting that their relationship, after a strained meeting in the Oval Office earlier this year, had improved, particularly following a one-on-one conversation at the Vatican in April, on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral.
“Fifteen minutes in the Vatican, tete-a-tete, one-to-one ... did more to establish trust than the meeting with many people present in the Oval Office,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he “wants to believe that we have a normal, equal, professional relationship” with the United States.
