Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that, despite his strained relationship with Donald Trump, he believes the White House is still more irritated by Russian leader Vladimir Putin than he is.
"I may say unpleasant things, but I speak the truth. And I speak what I think. And he [Vladimir Putin] can sometimes say very nice things, but they are lies. And I think that intelligent people are more concerned about those who lie," the Ukrainian president told a group of journalists in Kiev on Tuesday, Politiko reported.
"You can be very uncomfortable in a partnership, but be partners. I think the problem with Putin is that you think you're having a dialogue, but you're actually alone," he added.
Zelensky said he thinks Trump and his administration have now "realized that Putin does not want to end his invasion of Ukraine the way the White House wants," N1 reports.
While continuing to criticize Zelensky, Trump on Tuesday warned Putin that he was "playing with fire" as the Kremlin continues to bomb Ukraine with record numbers of drones.
"What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, a lot of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean really bad. He's playing with fire!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Zelensky still wants the US to impose further sanctions on Russia, because only intensifying pressure can force Moscow to think about peace, he told the gathered reporters.
Although the European Union approved a 17th round of sanctions after Russia rejected Ukraine's offer of a XNUMX-day ceasefire, the US has not imposed any new penalties since. However, after meeting with Trump at the Vatican in late April, the Ukrainian president became more confident that the White House would impose sanctions on Russia if Putin refused to agree to a ceasefire.
Zelensky reiterated his willingness to engage in dialogue with the Russians “in any format,” including direct talks with Putin or with Trump’s mediation. However, he would prefer the Americans to be present at the ceasefire talks and the Europeans at the talks on post-war security guarantees, as they will be the ones to provide those commitments.
Zelensky said he was also ready to talk "almost anywhere in the civilized world."
While Russia has mentioned Belarus as a possible location, Zelensky has called it a "frivolous" proposal, given the country's support for Moscow's invasion. He sees Turkey, Switzerland and the Vatican as the most likely locations for negotiations.
By the summer of 2026, the Russian economy will feel the impact of sanctions, and military production will begin to decline, Zelensky said, expressing hope that by June 2026, the war will be over.
But ending the war requires Russian political will. In early May, Moscow rejected Ukraine's offer to halt all hostilities for 30 days and has dramatically escalated drone and missile attacks in recent weeks. And if the world stops pressuring Russia, it will simply continue its war effort, Zelensky said, according to Politiko.
Zelensky warned that Russian forces are now preparing for a new major offensive and have massed more than 50.000 troops near the border with the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy.
On Tuesday, US special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg said that Kiev had provided the United States with a list of conditions for a peace agreement with Russia.
Moscow is working on its own peace memorandum, the country's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, and will soon announce the next round of talks with Ukraine.
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