Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it is easier for US President Donald Trump to pressure Ukraine than Russia, as Trump has been publicly urging Ukraine to make concessions in peace talks, in an interview with Axios published on 17 February.
Zelenskyy made the remarks while Ukrainian and Russian delegations were meeting in Geneva for talks aimed at ending the war. He said Trump’s repeated public calls for Ukraine to make concessions - particularly on territory in the eastern Donbas - are unfair because they place the burden of compromise on Kyiv rather than on Moscow.
"Easier for Trump to pressure Ukraine than Russia"
“It might be easier for Trump to pressure Ukraine than the much larger Russia,” Zelenskyy told Axios. He added that lasting peace cannot be achieved by “giving victory” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy said his conversations with Trump’s envoys, Axios noted, are respectful and not marked by the same public pressure.
US mediators suggest Donbas withdrawal
Zelenskyy said US mediators have suggested Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of the Donbas and allow those areas to become a demilitarized zone. Kyiv has said it is willing to discuss a troop withdrawal, but only in exchange for an equivalent pullback by Russian forces, and has rejected Russian claims of sovereignty over the territory.
He also reiterated that any peace deal must be put to a referendum in Ukraine, but that Ukrainians would reject a deal involving unilateral withdrawal from Donbas territory.
“Emotionally, people will never forgive this,” Zelenskyy said. “They will not forgive... me, they will not forgive [the US]."
Zelenskyy suggested that freezing current battle lines in the region might be acceptable to the Ukrainian public if reflected in an agreement.
Geneva talks to resume on 18 February
Military‑to‑military talks in Abu Dhabi have agreed on a US‑led mechanism to monitor a ceasefire with drones, Zelenskyy said, but Russia opposes European involvement in that plan.
Zelenskyy added that he believes Russia may use lengthy discussions to buy time rather than make genuine progress.
Trilateral talks in Geneva are expected to continue on 18 February.
