Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman that he believes incoming President Donald Trump can help put an end to the Russo-Ukrainian war.
“It won’t be long, because Europe will be looking at us and will be looking at Trump. And, by the way, I now see that when I talk about something with Donald Trump, whether we meet in person or we just have a call, all the European leaders always ask, ‘how was it?’ This shows the influence of Donald Trump. This has never happened before. With an American president, I tell you, from my experience, this also gives you confidence… that he can stop this war.”
Zelensky is echoing statements he has made multiple times, including last week during an interview with United News, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
"Trump is capable of being decisive in this war. He can really stop Putin or help us stop Putin. We had several conversations, both in meetings and on the phone. He is strong and unpredictable. I would very much like President Trump's unpredictability to focus primarily on the Russian Federation. I believe he genuinely wants to end the war," Zelensky said.
Zelensky noted that his interactions with the US President-elect have been positive so far.
"The most important thing is to build relationships," he said, emphasizing that efforts to establish strong ties are already underway.
"Our teams are in constant contact. There have been live meetings. The head of my office has been there, our foreign minister has established contacts, and our defense minister maintains separate lines of communication," Zelensky added.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged attempts to sow division. "I know exactly who is building their plans on dividing and quarreling us," he concluded.
As of November 2024, Russia has deployed between 140,000 and 180,000 prisoners to fight in the war against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service reported. During a post-election call with Putin, Trump reportedly warned the Russian leader against ramping up the fight in Ukraine.
“The American people re-elected President Trump because they trust him to lead our country and restore peace through strength around the world. When he returns to the White House, he will take the necessary action to do just that,” said Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance Transition team.
