Zelensky calls Trump's idea to give occupied territories to Russia in exchange for "peace" primitive
Such an agreement would only pave the way for new wars of aggression by Russia in the future, he stressed
In an interview with Politico, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Donald Trump's ideas on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine if he returns to the White House.
Recently, the Washington Post reported, citing its sources, that Trump allegedly plans to put pressure on Kyiv to force Ukraine to give up part of its territory, including Crimea and Donbas.
Zelenskyy called such plans "primitive".
"If the deal is that we just give up our territories, and this is the idea behind it, then this is a very primitive idea," Zelensky said.
"I need very strong arguments. I don't need a fantastic idea, I need a real idea, because people's lives are at stake," the President of Ukraine added.
According to Zelenskyy, any agreement that simply gives Vladimir Putin land in exchange for a cessation of hostilities will only open the way for new wars of aggression by Russia in the future.
A negotiated peace, he said, should not leave Putin any room to carry out his plans.
In the interview, Zelenskyy also expressed dissatisfaction with Western allies who are not providing military assistance quickly enough (especially Germany) and acknowledged that Ukraine is under intense pressure to make new progress in the war, Politico reports.
Meanwhile, two Republican lawmakers who are in favour of helping Ukraine, Reps. Mike Turner and Mike McCaul, said that Russian propaganda has infiltrated the thinking of some members of Congress.
Asked about this claim, Zelenskyy said it downplayed the problem of Russian influence in democratic countries like the United States.
"They (Russians – ed.) have their lobbies everywhere: in the United States, EU countries, the United Kingdom, Latin America, Africa," Zelenskyy said. "When we talk about Congress, do you notice how they [Russian propaganda] work with society in the United States?"
"They are pushing their narrative through the media," Zelenskyy said. "These are not Russian citizens or natives of Russia, no. They are representatives of certain media groups, US citizens. They are the ones who speak in the media with the relevant messages, sometimes very pro-Russian."
Background. As a reminder, Zelenskyy said on CNN that Kyiv would lose the war if the US Congress did not provide military aid to Ukraine.
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