Zelenskyy Says Trump Could Easily Bring Putin to Peace Negotiations
ISTANBUL — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump could bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table without much difficulty. He urged Trump to apply similar pressure on the Russian leader to help end the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with British podcaster Steven Bartlett, Zelenskyy said Trump should direct his strong public statements towards Putin rather than repeatedly criticizing Ukraine’s leadership. He made the remarks while discussing whether a realistic opportunity existed to end the ongoing conflict.
Trump has recently accused Zelenskyy of obstructing peace efforts, urging him to reach an agreement with Moscow or appoint another representative to conduct negotiations. The US president has also criticized Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities, warning that strikes on oil refineries could contribute to fuel shortages and hurt American farmers and ranchers.
Zelenskyy noted that Washington had already approved additional sanctions against Russia and argued that Trump could implement these measures if he chose to do so. However, he suggested that the US president’s close relationship with Putin might explain his reluctance to introduce further restrictions.
The Ukrainian president also dismissed claims that Kyiv’s attacks on Russian energy infrastructure were responsible for rising diesel prices in the United States. He argued that the fuel supplies Russia would provide under its recent agreement with Washington were insufficient to significantly influence American market prices.
Zelenskyy maintained that Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities were retaliatory measures following Russian attacks on similar infrastructure in Ukraine.
He further revealed that he had asked Trump to help negotiate an energy ceasefire between the two countries, but the initiative had failed. According to Zelenskyy, Putin rejected the proposal, yet Trump subsequently blamed Kyiv for rising American diesel prices rather than holding Moscow responsible.
Zelenskyy described this interpretation as unfair, accusing Trump of misrepresenting the situation. He also suggested that the US president was attempting to shift public attention away from developments in the Middle East, where disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war began in late February have continued to affect global oil markets.
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