Zelenskyy: Trump can help end war by changing rhetoric towards Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said US President Donald Trump could help end Russia’s war against Ukraine if he changed his rhetoric towards Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy said Trump had enough influence to bring the Russian leader to the negotiating table. He also said Trump could implement sanctions against Russia approved by Congress.

Zelenskyy on talks and sanctions

In an interview with Steven Bartlett for The Diary of a CEO podcast, Zelenskyy said he did not know why Trump was not applying to Putin the same pressure he used against Ukraine’s president. He suggested a special relationship between Trump and Putin could be a possible reason, while stressing that he did not know whether that was the case.

Zelenskyy also criticised Trump’s statements suggesting that Ukraine’s president was responsible for rising US diesel prices. He called the accusation unfair.

Strikes on Russian refineries

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was striking Russian oil refineries in response to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He said an agreement to halt attacks on energy facilities could change the situation, but Trump had so far been unable to reach one with Putin.

Trump had previously said Zelenskyy did not want to end the war and that Ukraine was in ruins. Those remarks followed the US president’s statement that he had spoken with Putin and reached an agreement concerning supplies of Russian diesel fuel to US and global markets.