Zelensky tells Trump to redirect his rhetoric toward Putin, urges US to impose sanctions on Russia
In an interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Donald Trump could help end Russia's war on Ukraine by applying to Vladimir Putin the same rhetoric Trump uses toward Zelensky, and by activating sanctions already passed by the US Congress. Zelensky rejected Trump's claims that Ukraine is to blame for rising US diesel prices, said Ukraine strikes Russian oil refineries only in response to Russian attacks on its energy grid, and noted that Trump has failed to secure an energy ceasefire from Putin. He also said Washington had declined to provide the air defence missiles Ukraine requested, citing a redirection of resources to the Middle East.
Key points
- Zelensky said Trump can help end the war by transferring the rhetoric he uses toward Zelensky onto Putin.
- Zelensky said the US Congress has already passed sanctions against Russia that Trump could impose, and said he does not know why Trump has not done so.
- Zelensky called Trump's claim that Ukraine is responsible for rising US diesel prices unfair and 'completely untrue'.
- Zelensky said Ukraine strikes Russian oil refineries only in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
- Zelensky said Trump has been unable to reach an energy ceasefire agreement with Putin, with Putin refusing Trump.
- Zelensky said Russian diesel exports to the US are too small to significantly affect world prices, and that the real diesel problem stems from the Middle East.
- Zelensky said the US declined to provide air defence missiles Ukraine requested for energy protection, citing a redirection of resources to the Middle East.
Why it matters
Zelensky is asking Washington to redirect pressure from Kyiv to Moscow, and to use the sanctions Congress has already approved. He frames Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refineries as retaliation for Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and warns that without US support, Ukraine may continue fighting but will lose leverage to force Putin to negotiate.
What happened
In an interview with The Diary of a CEO YouTube podcast, hosted by Steven Bartlett, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Donald Trump has the political power to make Vladimir Putin sit down at the negotiating table, and urged him to apply to Putin the same rhetoric he uses toward Zelensky. Zelenskyy said the US Congress has already passed sanctions against Russia that Trump could impose, and said he does not know why Trump has not done so, suggesting Trump and Putin may have a 'special relationship'. He rejected as 'unfair' and 'completely untrue' Trump's claims that Ukraine is to blame for rising diesel prices in the United States, saying Russian diesel exports to the US are too small to affect world prices and that the real problem is the situation in the Middle East. Zelenskyy said Ukraine strikes Russian oil refineries only in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and that Trump has so far failed to reach an energy ceasefire with Putin because Putin is refusing him. He also said he asked Trump for air defence missiles to protect Ukraine's energy sector and that Ukraine is ready to pay for them with European support, but the US declined, citing a redirection of resources to the Middle East. Zelenskyy said Ukraine will keep fighting for its statehood even without US support, but warned that doing so would make it harder to force Putin to negotiate.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets frame the interview around Russian responsibility for the war and for attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and around Zelenskyy's call for the US to use the sanctions Congress has already approved and to provide air defence missiles. The framing also reflects Zelenskyy's distrust of Trump's justifications on the war, diesel prices and the 2022 advance on Kyiv, and presents Trump's rhetoric as a distraction from Iran and the Middle East.
Where reporting differs
Trump said he had reached an agreement with Putin on supplying Russian diesel fuel to American and world markets, while Zelenskyy said Trump has been unable to reach an energy ceasefire agreement with Putin because Putin is refusing him. Zelenskyy also called unfair Trump's claim that Ukraine is to blame for rising US diesel prices, even though the reported Trump position did not name Ukraine as the cause of the price increases.
Background
Trump had previously stated that Zelenskyy does not want to end the war and that Ukraine lies in ruins, and said he had spoken with Putin and reached an agreement on supplying Russian diesel fuel to the US and world markets. Zelenskyy has rejected the suggestion that Ukraine is responsible for US diesel price increases, and has said the real cause is the situation in the Middle East. He has also suggested that a friendly Trump–Putin relationship might have prevented the full-scale invasion, but said he does not know the reason for Trump's changed attitude toward Putin.