Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has directly contradicted US President Donald Trump's assertion that the Kremlin wants to see Ukraine succeed, stating he sees no evidence of Russia's interest in ending the war.
In an interview with Fox News following his 28 December meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Zelenskyy responded to Trump's claim that "Russia wants to see Ukraine successful" and would help with reconstruction and supply cheap electricity — presumably from the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
"I don't trust Putin. He doesn't want success for Ukraine. I think he can say such words to President Trump… but in reality, it's not true," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president emphasized he sees no signs of Putin seeking peace — neither in public statements nor in Russia's actions, as attacks on Ukraine continue. He suggested Putin may tell Western leaders what they want to hear as a way to avoid pressure.
Zelenskyy stressed that achieving progress in peace negotiations requires US pressure on Russia, particularly through strengthened sanctions. He added that approving a peace agreement would be "a significant political success" for Trump, since the negotiation process is happening under his leadership.
The meeting between the two presidents lasted nearly three hours instead of the planned one hour. Trump claimed afterward that they had moved closer to ending the war. Zelenskyy stated that a 20-point peace plan is 90% agreed upon, with security guarantees for Ukraine fully agreed at 100%.
Negotiating teams are set to meet next week "to finalize all discussed issues," according to the report. A final decision on the peace settlement documents Ukraine is working on with the US is expected in January.
Before meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump held a call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, which he described as "good and very productive." Trump confirmed he would call Putin again after his meeting with the Ukrainian president.
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