Zelensky wants to “work directly” with Trump to end the war between Ukraine and Russia

CNN
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants to work “directly” with US President-elect Donald Trump and is open to his ideas, underscoring Kiev’s desire to keep its most important ally as Russia steps up its attacks.

“Of course we will work with Trump. I want to work directly with him,” Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News published on Friday, adding that he did not want people close to Trump to “destroy” communication. “I want to share ideas with him and I want to hear his ideas from him,” he added.

The United States is the largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine, and Kiev is keenly aware that it needs to stay on Trump’s good side to secure future support. right US Department of Statethe government has contributed $64.1 billion to Ukraine’s war effort since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky characterized his conversations with Trump during a visit to New York in September as “warm, good, constructive.” He said the talks were an “important first step” but that more detailed talks would be needed “until we have a real plan where Ukraine is strong.”

Zelensky noted that his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, would travel to the US as soon as possible for meetings, including with Trump’s pick for special envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

Kellogg favors a ceasefire and peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, which would include security guarantees for Ukraine to protect against future Russian invasions.

Zelensky told Sky News that, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not ready to negotiate. “He doesn’t want to stop the war,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader added that he would like Trump to succeed and for the US to “play one of the most important roles” in ending the war.

Before winning the election, Trump repeatedly claimed that the Russia-Ukraine war would not have started if he had been president. He also promised to end the war, sometimes even claiming to end the years-long conflict before taking office. In July, he said he could resolve the conflict in one day, without giving further details.

Zelensky’s comments come as the scope and severity of the conflict grows, as Moscow increasingly leverages non-nuclear ballistic missiles. More than a million Ukrainian households were left without power on Thursday following a large-scale attack on critical energy infrastructure.

On Friday, Putin threatened to strikes Ukraine again. He also praised Trump, describing him as an “intelligent and experienced” politician capable of finding “solutions.”

In the interview with Sky News, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s US and European allies need to better equip more soldiers and provide more fighter jets. The country’s eastern front, where Moscow is rapidly advancing, “depends on the number of equipped brigades” and air defense, he added.

He also addressed widely reported calls by US officials to lower Ukraine’s minimum conscription age from 25 to 18 to address a critical labor shortage. “I want to ask our partners to do their part and we will do our part,” he said.

Asked by Sky News whether Ukraine would consider ceding territory to Russia in exchange for joining NATO, Zelensky said such a solution could theoretically help end the war, but would be against Ukraine’s constitution.

“The invitation (to join NATO) must be made to Ukraine at its internationally recognized border. You cannot give an invitation to only one part of the country… You have no right to recognize the occupied territory as Russian territory,” he said.

Zelensky has long called for Ukraine’s unconditional NATO membership, but it is highly unlikely that the country will be admitted to the military alliance before the end of the war. During the interview, Zelensky reiterated his position that NATO membership is currently the only path to victory.

He admitted that he feared that Ukraine might lose the war and especially the independence of its people. “If we stand alone, we will lose,” he said.

Maria Kostenko contributed to this report.