Zelenskyy urges Trump to support Ukraine as war enters fifth year “Stay on our side”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to US President Donald Trump to maintain support for Ukraine, telling CNN he wants the US president “to stay on our side.”

Speaking to CNN at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy said he hopes Trump, during his State of the Union address on February 24, will reaffirm backing for Ukraine.

“They have to stay with … a democratic country which is fighting against one person. Because this person is a war. Putin is a war. It’s all about himself. It’s all about one person. And the country, all his country is in the prison,” Zelenskyy told CNN.

He added, “If they really want to stop Putin, America’s so strong.” When asked if Trump is applying sufficient pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy replied, “No.”

In the interview, Zelenskyy acknowledged the toll the war has taken on Ukrainians, but insisted that conceding to Russia’s demands is not an option.

“We can’t just give him everything he wants. Because he wants to occupy us. If we will give him all he wants, we will lose everything — all of us, people will have to run away or be Russian.”

Trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States have yet to yield a breakthrough. Zelenskyy said security guarantees, particularly how allies would respond if Russia launched another attack, remain a major sticking point.

He criticised vague assurances that Russia would not start another war, saying, “This is not the answer to me. I’m sorry.”

Zelenskyy stressed the need for concrete commitments from partners: “I want [a] very specific answer: what [our] partners will be ready to do if Putin will come again. This is what Ukrainians want to hear.”

The Ukrainian leader also highlighted disagreements over the sequencing of peace agreements. Trump reportedly prefers a single ceremony in which Ukraine would sign a peace deal with Russia alongside security guarantees from the US and Europe. Zelenskyy, however, insists that guarantees be ratified by the US Congress first to ensure credibility and public confidence.

On the issue of territorial control, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is willing to freeze the front lines but will not withdraw from areas of the eastern Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control. Russia demands that Ukraine relinquish approximately 20% of the region, including key industrial cities and infrastructure that form the backbone of Ukrainian defense.

“Russia wants [us] just to withdraw our army. … We can’t be such, sorry, foolish guys. We are not children. We went through this war, during all these years, and so we just, we can’t give them the country on [a] plate,” Zelenskyy said.

He emphasised the importance of security for residents in these areas: “For people who live there, it’s very important what security they will have … 200,000 people live there. What do I have to say [to them] and what [do] our soldiers have to say — ‘Okay, bye, bye. We go away. You are Russian from this moment?’”

Zelenskyy also addressed the topic of elections and his own political future. Elected in 2019, his term was set to end in May 2024, but martial law in wartime has delayed elections. Trump has suggested Ukraine hold elections, even calling Zelenskyy a “dictator.” Zelenskyy expressed skepticism about the intentions behind such comments:

“It’s very interesting when the presidents of different countries, including the United States and Russia, speak about elections in … Ukraine. What do they want? Another president? Okay. … I don’t know,” he said.

The interview followed an award ceremony for fallen Ukrainian soldiers, where Zelenskyy personally presented medals to grieving families. He appeared visibly moved by the event.

“It’s an honor … to give the order to the mother or to the father, husband, wife [of] heroic people who are not here with us, only in our hearts. But it’s very painful, very emotional,” Zelenskyy told CNN afterward. “I want to do it. I think it is important to [get] it from the president. And for me, it’s very important to give it to them. I always have to find time for this.”

By Sabina Mammadli