Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t want success for Ukraine,” contradicting an earlier statement from President Trump.
“I don’t trust Putin. And he doesn’t want success for Ukraine, really, he doesn’t want — he can say it. I believe that he can say such words to President Trump. I believe in it, that he can say it, but it’s not true,” Zelensky told Fox News’s Bret Baier on “Special Report,” in an interview that aired Monday.
“Really, he doesn’t want to have — from President Trump — more pressure with sanctions and etcetera.”
During a press conference with Zelensky on Sunday after a meeting between the two leaders, the president was asked by a Reuters reporter about discussion with Putin on the subject of “what responsibility Russia will have for any kind of reconstruction of Ukraine.””
“They’re going to be helping, Russia is going to be helping. Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed,” Trump replied.
After Trump made the comments in the press conference, Zelensky appeared briefly puzzled.
Throughout his first year back in office, Trump’s administration has pushed for an end to the war in Ukraine to little success. Trump has met with Zelensky multiple times, including one notable February meeting that was rife with public tension.
Also on Sunday, Zelensky said Ukrainian and American negotiators had made notable progress on a 20-point peace proposal.
“We discussed all the aspects of the peace framework … [the] 20-point peace plan [is] 90 percent agreed,” Zelensky said alongside the president at the press conference.
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