U.S. President Donald Trump has the ability to force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to start real negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. To do this, Washington could intensify political and economic pressure on Moscow, in particular the sanctions already supported by the American Congress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this in an interview with British host Steven Bartlett for The Diary of a CEO podcast, published on October 22.
According to Zelenskyy, Trump could achieve negotiations with Putin much faster if he applied the same tough approach to the Russian president as he does to the Ukrainian leadership.
The President of Ukraine drew attention to the difference in the American leader's rhetoric regarding Kyiv and Moscow. He is convinced that increasing pressure on the Kremlin is capable of changing the situation in the diplomatic process.
Zelenskyy named American economic sanctions as one of the main tools. According to him, Congress has already supported legislation that allows for serious additional restrictions against Russia, and the final decision on their application depends on the Trump administration.
At the same time, Zelenskyy admitted that he does not know the real reasons why the U.S. President refrains from tougher pressure on Putin. He suggested that this could be due to the special relationship between the two leaders or possible economic agreements. At the same time, the head of state stressed that he does not have full information and can only make assumptions.
Earlier, Trump used the exemption mechanism provided by U.S. legislation and suspended the application of some new sanctions against Russia. This decision drew criticism from American lawmakers and Ukrainian authorities, who consider additional economic pressure necessary to advance peace negotiations.
During the interview, Zelenskyy also commented on Trump's repeated claims that the full-scale Russian invasion allegedly would not have happened if he had remained U.S. president in 2022.
The head of the Ukrainian state noted that it is impossible to answer such a question definitively. He acknowledged that Trump's personal relationship with Putin could theoretically have influenced the Russian leadership's decision.
However, Zelenskyy stressed that Putin's main goal remained the occupation of Ukraine, regardless of who headed the White House. In his assessment, even if the invasion could have been temporarily averted, it would not have meant the Kremlin's abandonment of relevant plans in the future.
The President reminded that the terms of American leaders in power are limited, while the Russian leadership's policy towards Ukraine is long-term in nature. Therefore, the arrival or departure of a specific U.S. president alone does not eliminate the causes of the war.
Returning to the prospects for negotiations, Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Washington retains enough leverage over Moscow. However, to achieve results, according to him, there needs to be a willingness to apply these instruments directly to the Russian leadership.
Based on materials from: The Diary of a CEO, Kurs Ukrainy
