New York: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has outlined his vision for ending the war with Russia, emphasizing that security guarantees for Ukraine would be effective only if provided by the United States. In an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, published on Sunday, Zelenskyy expressed hope to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump following his inauguration.
Zelenskyy conveyed that Ukrainians are hopeful that Trump would take decisive action to force Russia to end the war. However, he cautioned that if the United States were to withdraw from NATO, the Kremlin would likely escalate its aggression into Europe.
With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaching its third anniversary in February, the return of Trump to the White House on January 20 has raised expectations for a potential ceasefire agreement. But Zelenskyy warned that any such deal might come at a significant cost. Recognizing that Ukraine’s European allies would be militarily unable to counter Russia without U.S. support, Zelenskyy asserted, “Without the United States, security guarantees are not possible. I mean these security guarantees that can prevent Russian aggression.”
During the interview, Zelenskyy reiterated his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin was uninterested in genuine negotiations to end the conflict, stating that the Kremlin would need to be forced into signing a truce.
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Zelenskyy also mentioned that he and Trump shared a mutual understanding of the importance of a “peace through strength” strategy to resolve the war with Russia. However, he underscored that it was ultimately up to the United States to decide its future course. If the U.S. under Trump were to exit NATO, Zelenskyy warned, it would undermine the alliance and embolden Putin to further destabilize Europe.
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“I’m simply saying that if it does (quit the alliance), Putin will destroy Europe,” he said. Zelenskyy concluded by expressing his intent to sit down with President-elect Trump to strategize how to halt the Kremlin’s advances.
