Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska gave the Russian chief what he wished.
“It is a pity that Ukraine was not there, as a result of I feel that President Trump gave, gave Putin what he wished,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “He had — he wished, , he wished very a lot to fulfill with President Trump, with the president of the USA. And I feel that, and I feel that Putin acquired it. And, it is a pity.”
The Ukrainian president added, “Putin does not wish to meet with me, however he needs very a lot to fulfill with the president of the USA, to indicate all people video and pictures that he’s there.”
Zelenskyy spoke to ABC Information Chief World Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz Friday in an interview that aired on ABC Information’ “This Week” on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Martha Raddatz of ABC Information.
ABC Information
Zelenskyy’s feedback got here days earlier than Russia launched greater than 800 drones and different munitions throughout Ukraine in a single day Saturday, together with the capital metropolis of Kyiv, the place the federal government’s cupboard constructing was struck. The assaults left a minimum of eight civilians lifeless and injured 59 others throughout the nation. Ukraine’s Air Pressure described the assault as a file assault.
Because the battle in Ukraine drags on, Trump has continued to push — to date, unsuccessfully — for a gathering between Putin and Zelenskyy as he seeks to carry the yearslong battle to an in depth. This week, a Trump-imposed two-week deadline for peace talks between Putin and Zelenskyy got here and went.
Talking with Raddatz from a bombed-out American-owned manufacturing facility in Ukraine, Zelenskyy mentioned that he believed that to finish the battle, extra strain from American and European allies towards Russia is required.
“You speak about extra sanctions and extra tariffs and extra assist from President Trump. And you’ve got informed him you assume he has the facility to do that. And but the deadlines move repeatedly and one other one has handed,” Raddatz mentioned.
“All of us perceive that we’d like further strain on Putin. We want strain from the USA. And I mentioned that I feel that President Trump is correct in regards to the Europeans — I’m very grateful to all of the companions. However a few of them, I imply, they proceed to purchase oil and Russian gasoline. And this isn’t honest…So we now have to cease shopping for any form of vitality from Russia,” he mentioned.
“This is just one, a technique [of] tips on how to cease the killer. You could take off his, I imply, to take off his weapon. Vitality is his weapon,” Zelenskyy added.
On a attainable assembly with Putin, Zelenskyy mentioned the Russian president proposed phrases for a gathering that he couldn’t settle for, and that Putin was “enjoying video games with the USA.”
“He mentioned he’ll meet in the event you come to Moscow,” Raddatz mentioned to Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy scoffed.
“He can come to Kyiv,” he mentioned.
“I can not go to Moscow below — when my nation is below missiles, below assaults every day,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “I can not go to this capital of this terrorist. It is comprehensible. And he understands it.”
“It is the identical proposition, as I mentioned, that he has to come back to Kyiv. So it is comprehensible that he’s doing it … to once more, to postpone the assembly we set,” he added.
However Zelenskyy famous that the potential for a bilateral assembly between the 2 warring leaders shouldn’t be out of the query — simply not on Russian territory.
“I mentioned, look, Mr. President, I am prepared for any form of assembly — however not in Russia — any form of assembly, bilateral, trilateral. We’ll be glad if you can be in,” he mentioned.
As for the lengthy wanted safety ensures that Ukraine has requested from American and European allies within the occasion of an finish to the battle, Zelenskyy mentioned that “any safety ensures in Ukraine could be based mostly solely on our military.”
“I feel that, that President [Trump] needs to complete this battle. But when we talk about simply and lasting peace, it is vital to complete and to not have risk … to have aggression once more in six months, in a single yr, in two years. It is not solely vital solely to cease the battle. Sure, it is essential, however to have a long-lasting peace, to have safety,” he mentioned.
Requested by Raddatz what victory seems like for his embattled nation, Zelenskyy mentioned the survival of Ukraine.
“Putin’s purpose is to occupy Ukraine,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
“[Putin] needs, in fact, to occupy us completely. For him, this [is] victory. And till he can do it, the victory is on our aspect,” he mentioned. “In order that’s why for us to outlive is a victory. As a result of we’re surviving with our id, with our nation, with our independence.”
