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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview broadcast Monday, expressed unease over U.S. diplomatic maneuvers, claiming Washington appeared too eager to appease Moscow in discussions concerning Ukraine. He also raised alarms over what he described as Europe’s fragile military posture, stressing the need for stronger defense strategies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized what he saw as overly conciliatory statements from U.S. officials toward Russia, asserting that Washington was deliberately adopting a tone favorable to President Vladimir Putin. “The U.S. is now saying things that are very favorable to Putin… because they want to please him,” he remarked.
“They want to meet quickly and have a quick win. But what they want — ‘just a ceasefire’ — is not a win,” Zelensky said, according to a translation provided by broadcaster ARD of an interview recorded Saturday in Munich.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned allies by announcing that he had personally spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a swift resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Washington appeared to set firm boundaries on Ukraine’s ambitions as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that NATO membership for Kyiv and the recovery of territories lost since 2014 were not viable options. Responding to speculation over a possible settlement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the idea of signing an agreement for mere diplomatic approval, emphasizing, “The fate of our state for generations to come must not be compromised.”
Read also: US, Russia Diplomats To Meet For Key Ukraine Peace Talks
He rejected the idea of ceding Ukrainian territory that Russia has seized, saying: “We will reclaim it all.”
While European leaders gathered in Paris for high-stakes crisis talks on Ukraine’s future, German broadcaster ARD released an interview with President Volodymyr Zelensky. The conversation, recorded at the recently concluded Munich Security Conference, shed light on Kyiv’s perspective as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict intensified.
The Ukrainian president warned that Europe was in a weak position if it could not rely on the US security umbrella.
While “readiness has increased” in recent years, “in terms of troop strength, the number of combat troops, the fleet, the air force, the drones… I honestly think that Europe is weak today”, he said.
Zelensky said Ukraine had grown more resilient over the past three years and that “Putin wouldn’t be able to occupy us the way he wanted to”.
Even so, he warned that “there will definitely not be a Ukrainian victory without US support”.
Zelensky said he and Trump had spoken about deploying foreign troops to police a future ceasefire.
