Zelenskyy praises Trump for ‘just and fair’ rhetoric toward Russia

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said President Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward Russian President Vladimir Putin about negotiating a deal to end the war or facing more economic pressure is “just and fair.”

“This is exactly what Putin is afraid of. He doesn’t want strong Trump supporting Ukraine because it would be a strong Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said through a translator in an exclusive interview Tuesday on “Hannity.”

Trump threatened Putin in a Truth Social post last week, calling on him to make a deal or face additional tariffs and sanctions.

“Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries,” Trump wrote.

Zelenskyy noted that since the 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine has taken back 50% of the territory once held by Russian soldiers. 

“We would like to achieve a fair end to this war. We are not afraid. Russia is not that strong, but we don’t want to lose more of our lives, men and women,” he told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

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United Nations deputy human rights chief Nada Al-Nashif said in early January more than 12,300 civilians, including over 650 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the onset of the war.

Zelenskyy added that Putin doesn’t want to bring an end to the war, and Ukraine will not recognize the occupation of its lands.

He called for more international pressure on Putin, specifically from China, so an agreement can be made, as well as “broader guarantees of security.” 

“I believe that guarantees from Europe alone will never be enough,” said Zelenskyy. “The Europeans understand that without guarantees of security from the United States, from President Trump, it will not be enough. Putin is not afraid of Europe. Unfortunately, that is so.”

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The Ukrainian president explained that prior to Russia’s invasion, he personally asked former President Joe Biden and his team to take preventative action, like putting sanctions on Russia, as its troops and tanks amassed on Ukraine’s borders. 

Zelenskyy also asked for weapons, but he says he was told they would only be provided “if” Russia invaded. 

“Parallel with that, I was asking the European Union countries, and they could not do it without [the] approval of the United States. So they always look at the leader, the United States, as the leader. So, during the big invasion, Ukrainians were left on their own, and we were fighting on our own,” he said. 

“If President Trump has the will to force Putin to come to peace, he can do it,” Zelenskyy continued, arguing he hopes there’s more to a potential agreement than just a piece of paper. “We want him to be on the side of justice, on the side of Ukraine.”