Zelensky warned Trump about the consequences of rapprochement with Putin
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated that an official shift of the United States to Russia's side would be a historic mistake and would jeopardize Ukraine's ability to continue the fight. At the same time, he emphasized that he still considers Donald Trump an ally and hopes for a change in his policy towards Moscow.
Zelensky made this statement on October 18 in an interview with the American television channel NBC News on the program Meet the Press.
According to the Ukrainian president, US support remains critically important for Ukraine. He warned that if the positions of Washington and Moscow were to openly merge, Ukraine would find itself in an extremely difficult situation.
"If the United States supports Putin, it will be a historic mistake and a great tragedy", - Zelensky emphasized.
He added that Ukraine counts on the support of the American president or at least on maintaining a neutral position of Washington in relations between Kyiv and Moscow.
When asked whether he trusts Trump, Zelensky replied that Ukraine continues to rely on bipartisan support in the US and wants to maintain trust in the American leader.
"We want to trust him. I hope he changes his decisions, because I consider them erroneous. They will not help either us or the United States", - the president noted.
One of the main points of contention was Trump's decision to suspend the application of new sanctions against Russia, which had previously received bipartisan support in Congress.
Zelensky criticized this step, noting that easing economic pressure on Moscow could strengthen Putin's position and his willingness to continue the war.
The Ukrainian president also expressed doubt that the US agreement with Russia on diesel fuel supplies will have a significant impact on American prices. In his assessment, the main factor behind the rise in energy prices is the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, not Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.
Separately, Zelensky confirmed that the US has resumed providing Ukraine with intelligence data on launches of Russian ballistic missiles after a several-day pause. He thanked the American side for restoring cooperation.
At the same time, according to the president, restrictions on the speed of the military satellite system Starshield remain in effect. Zelensky suggested that both US authorities and SpaceX company may have been involved in making this decision. He did not provide public evidence of this.
For his part, Trump explains the decision regarding Russian sanctions by a desire not to derail negotiations on ending the war. In an interview with NBC News, Republican Senator James Lankford also defended the American president's position, saying that he is trying simultaneously to maintain pressure on Russia and contain the rise in fuel prices for Americans.
Despite the escalation of contradictions, Zelensky confirmed his readiness to continue diplomatic contacts with Trump's representatives and expressed hope for a new meeting in the coming days.