Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he wanted to appeal to US President-elect Donald Trump on a human level to win him over against “crazy” Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“Welcome Donald! What can I say?” Zelensky said, when asked by a reporter in Brussels what emotions he would feel at Trump’s inauguration next month.
“I think President Trump is a strong man and I want to have him on my side.”
Trump retaken the White House on January 20, vowing to cut a quick deal to end the war started by Moscow in Ukraine.
Kiev and its European allies fear the volatile Republican could cut support for Ukraine’s military and force Zelensky to make painful concessions to Russia.
“I hope to have time to speak, think, listen and hear their views and show my point of view,” Zelensky said after a meeting with EU leaders.
“I hope he will understand me because I think it doesn’t matter in the past, politicians, businessmen, we are all people and I think we have the same feelings and the same values.”
In comparison, Zelensky said he believed his Russian counterpart Putin was “crazy”.
“He likes to kill, it’s very dangerous for everyone,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader insisted Kiev wants to “end the war” – but warned he was against a ceasefire that would allow Moscow to rearm and attack.
Zelensky said, “Can you imagine Putin coming back in two months, in six months, in a year, in two years? Who will lose? Everyone. Everyone will lose.”
“So I think we need a real plan, a strong position, and I’m confident we will do that,” he said.
Zelensky is demanding stronger security guarantees and more arms from NATO to ensure that any potential peace deal is sustainable.
But he said European guarantees alone would not be “enough” and that the United States needed to be involved.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
