Ukrainian president sees Trump as key to ending Russia’s war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced optimism about the potential of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to bring Russia to the negotiating table and end the war in Ukraine.

In a three-hour interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, published Sunday, Zelenskyy emphasized Trump’s ability to secure peace through strong security guarantees involving both the U.S. and Europe.

“Trump and I will come to an agreement and… offer strong security guarantees, together with Europe, and then we can talk to the Russians,” Zelenskyy said, according to the translated transcript of the discussion held in Kyiv over the New Year.

Zelenskyy suggested that Trump’s leadership would influence Europe to align more firmly with Ukraine’s position, saying, “We and Trump come first, and Europe will support Ukraine’s position.”

Trump’s influence on the global stage

Despite Trump’s history of mocking Zelenskyy as a “salesman” and his controversial admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian leader praised the Republican’s strength and clout. Zelenskyy argued that Trump’s ability to pressure Putin could at least freeze Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, if not end it outright.

“I think that President Trump not only has will, he has all these possibilities, and it’s not just talk,” Zelenskyy said. “I really count on him, and I think that our people really count on him, so he has enough power to pressure him, to pressure Putin.”

Zelenskyy also highlighted Trump’s influence among European leaders, noting their keen interest in the Ukrainian president’s interactions with the president-elect. “When I talk about something with Donald Trump—whether we meet in person or we just have a call—all the European leaders always ask, ‘How was it?’ This shows the influence of Donald Trump, and this has never happened before with an American president,” he said.

NATO’s future without the U.S.

Central to Zelenskyy’s hopes for peace is a framework of security guarantees, ideally involving Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership. Without such assurances, Zelenskyy warned, “Putin will come again.” He called for ongoing Western military support and the continuation of economic sanctions against Russia as essential measures to protect Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also expressed concern over Trump’s criticism of NATO and hints at a possible U.S. withdrawal from the alliance. Such a move, he warned, would spell disaster for the Western military bloc.

“A U.S. exit would be ‘the end. That is, that’s the death of NATO,’” he said.