Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday expressed his desire to connect with United States President-elect Donald Trump on a personal level in a bid to secure his support against Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Zelensky described as “crazy.”
Speaking in Brussels after a meeting with EU leaders, Zelensky addressed Trump’s upcoming inauguration, scheduled for January 20. “Welcome Donald! What can I say?” he remarked when asked about his feelings towards Trump taking office. “I think that President Trump is a strong man, and I want very much to have him on our side.”
Trump, set to reclaim the White House, has pledged to broker a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine, a conflict initiated by Moscow. However, Kyiv and its European allies are concerned that the unpredictable Republican leader might reduce U.S. military support to Ukraine, potentially forcing Zelensky to make unfavorable concessions to Russia.
Zelensky emphasized his willingness to engage with Trump: “I count on (having) the time to speak, to think, to listen, and to hear his view and to show our view. I hope that he will understand me because I think that we all, it doesn’t matter, politicians, businessmen in the past, we are just people anyway, and we have, I think, the same emotions and the same values.”
Turning his attention to Russia, Zelensky had harsh words for his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, whom he labelled as “crazy.” “He loves to kill; that’s very dangerous for everybody,” he said.
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to ending the war but cautioned against any imposed ceasefire that would merely give Russia an opportunity to regroup. “Can you imagine that in two months, Putin will come back, in six months, in one year, in two years? Who will lose? Everybody. Everybody will lose,” he warned.
The Ukrainian leader stressed the need for a comprehensive and actionable plan. “That’s why I think we need to have a real plan, a strong position, and I very much count that we will,” he stated.
Zelensky has been advocating for robust security guarantees from NATO, coupled with additional weaponry, to ensure that any peace agreement is sustainable. However, he underscored that European guarantees alone would not suffice, adding that U.S. involvement was crucial.
