Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview that aired Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “a little bit scared” of President Donald Trump.
Zelenskyy recounted a phone call with Trump where he expressed his belief that Putin fears the American leader.
“I said that [Putin] is a liar,” Zelenskyy recalled of his conversation with Trump. “And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’
“But I think he’s really a little bit scared about President Trump. And I think the president has this chance, and he’s strong. And I think that really he can push Putin to peace negotiations. Yes, I think so. I think he can, but don’t trust him. Don’t trust Putin. Don’t trust just words about ceasefire,” Zelenskyy told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
Zelenskyy’s conversation with Trump comes after the president announced that Putin had agreed to start peace negotiations immediately to end the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump appointed a team including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations between the two countries.
PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS
Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Pool via Reuters/Leah Millis/Alina Smutko)
PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS
Zelenskyy expressed his trust in Trump’s leadership during negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine but emphasized that he will only accept a deal that includes talks with Ukraine.
“I believe and trust only in real steps. And I trust President Trump because he’s the president of the United States, because your people, your people voted for him, and I respect their choice, and I will work with President Trump with trust, which I have to the United States,” Zelenskyy told Welker.
FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL LANDS IN US AFTER YEARS IN RUSSIAN CAPTIVITY
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with members of the Security Council via videoconference at the Kremlin in Moscow, May 13, 2024. (Aleksey Babushkin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo)
“But of course, I want to have a real meeting, productive, without just words, with concrete steps, and to hear us, to hear President Trump, to make a common plan, and to share it with allies, then with Russians, and stop this war. I think we need it urgently. We have to do it without basic things, where there are concrete steps.”
Zelenskyy also mentioned during the interview that he will reject any negotiation conducted solely between the U.S. and Russia.
‘NO REASON’ FOR NEW NUKES: TRUMP FLOATS DISARMAMENT TALKS WITH CHINA, RUSSIA
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never.… The war in Ukraine is against us, and it is our human losses. And we are thankful for all the support, unity between USA – in USA around Ukraine support, bipartisan unity, bipartisan support, we’re thankful for all of this. But there is no… leader in the world who can really make a deal with Putin without us about us,” he said.
Former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at Trump Tower in New York City, Sept. 27, 2024. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Witkoff mentioned on Fox News earlier that he and Waltz are set to depart for Saudi Arabia to initiate negotiations to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
