Zelenskyy: ending the war should be victory for Trump, not Putin

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasises that ending the war in Ukraine should be a victory for the US President, not Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

A journalist asked Zelenskyy about Trump’s potential role in ending the war, describing him as one of Ukraine’s most influential assets. Trump's reluctance to be perceived as a loser was emphasised by the journalist, who also asked whether this may influence him to negotiate a deal with Putin that would be presented as a victory for the Russian leader.

"The issue of ending the war in Ukraine must be, I believe, a victory for Trump, not for Putin. Putin is nobody for him. America is way stronger, and Europe is way stronger. China is way stronger than Russia. They are all players," Zelenskyy said in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Davos.

The President stressed the importance of forming a joint action plan before starting negotiations with Russia on the end of the war.

"I think that all of us who truly want to end the war, who want to end it fast, if that is possible, for all of us it is desirable to have a plan until we have communication with Putin. I believe that this is in the interests of the United States, the European Union, Europe as a whole. It is in the interests of Ukraine and our people," he said.

On 22 January, Donald Trump said that if a "deal" to end the war in Ukraine is not concluded soon, he will have no choice but to "impose high taxes, tariffs and sanctions on everything Russia sells to the United States and other countries concerned".

On the first day of his presidency, Trump said that Vladimir Putin was destroying Russia by not ending the war.

Later, Trump indicated he was prepared to consider stronger sanctions against Russia if it refused to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.