Zelenskyy: If US Joins Russia, Ukraine ‘Will Not Prevail’
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cautioned Sunday that a formal US alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be a “historic mistake,” yet he insisted he still regards US President Donald Trump as an ally.
“We want to trust him,” Zelenskyy said in an interview on a national television network’s flagship Sunday political program. “I hope that he will change his decisions, because I think that it’s all mistakes, and it will not help us, and it will not help United States.”
The warning follows a sharp US policy shift. On Friday, Trump waived sweeping new sanctions on Russia that Congress had passed, stating in an executive order that the move “is in the national interests of the United States.” The waiver came just days after a deal with Putin to release hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel onto the global market as fuel prices soar.
Ukraine was left without warning of incoming ballistic missiles when US intelligence sharing was briefly “blocked,” Zelenskyy said. Restrictions have also hit the Starlink satellite internet network, which is critical to intercepting jet-powered drones.
Ukrainian officials believe SpaceX curbed Starlink in response to a “message from American government.”
Zelenskyy reported some progress: after a multiday interruption, US intelligence access had now been “deblocked.” Limits remain, however, on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, the military version of Starlink.
Asked whether Trump or SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made the call, Zelenskyy said he did not know but believed “both” were involved. If Trump decided tomorrow to lift the restriction, he said, “it will immediately work as it was before.”
Responding to Trump’s jab that he was “more difficult to deal with than Putin,” Zelenskyy said he had been “very honest” with the US president.
He conceded, “Maybe it’s not very polite,” but argued it is “better to have partners who are very open and clear than to have those who are killers, even with a smile on their face.”
On the prospect of Washington formally siding with Moscow, he warned: “If these two countries will be together ... we will not prevail, and we will not be able to stand.”
Zelenskyy voiced disappointment over the sanctions waiver, referring to legislation named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom he called “a great supporter of peace and of Ukraine.”
He said he was due to speak by phone with US negotiators later Sunday and remained hopeful of a meeting in the coming days. “I’m very open for this, even with all the difficult circumstances,” he said.
“We want to trust him,” Zelenskyy said in an interview on a national television network’s flagship Sunday political program. “I hope that he will change his decisions, because I think that it’s all mistakes, and it will not help us, and it will not help United States.”
The warning follows a sharp US policy shift. On Friday, Trump waived sweeping new sanctions on Russia that Congress had passed, stating in an executive order that the move “is in the national interests of the United States.” The waiver came just days after a deal with Putin to release hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel onto the global market as fuel prices soar.
Ukraine was left without warning of incoming ballistic missiles when US intelligence sharing was briefly “blocked,” Zelenskyy said. Restrictions have also hit the Starlink satellite internet network, which is critical to intercepting jet-powered drones.
Ukrainian officials believe SpaceX curbed Starlink in response to a “message from American government.”
Zelenskyy reported some progress: after a multiday interruption, US intelligence access had now been “deblocked.” Limits remain, however, on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, the military version of Starlink.
Asked whether Trump or SpaceX CEO Elon Musk made the call, Zelenskyy said he did not know but believed “both” were involved. If Trump decided tomorrow to lift the restriction, he said, “it will immediately work as it was before.”
Responding to Trump’s jab that he was “more difficult to deal with than Putin,” Zelenskyy said he had been “very honest” with the US president.
He conceded, “Maybe it’s not very polite,” but argued it is “better to have partners who are very open and clear than to have those who are killers, even with a smile on their face.”
On the prospect of Washington formally siding with Moscow, he warned: “If these two countries will be together ... we will not prevail, and we will not be able to stand.”
Zelenskyy voiced disappointment over the sanctions waiver, referring to legislation named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, whom he called “a great supporter of peace and of Ukraine.”
He said he was due to speak by phone with US negotiators later Sunday and remained hopeful of a meeting in the coming days. “I’m very open for this, even with all the difficult circumstances,” he said.
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