Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized recent comments from the United States regarding the Ukraine conflict, accusing the US of attempting to “please” Moscow in its efforts to resolve the war.
In an interview aired on Monday, February 17, Zelensky responded to remarks made by US officials, which he viewed as overly accommodating towards Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The US is now making statements that are very favourable to Putin… because they want to please him,” Zelensky said, referring to US efforts to quickly bring an end to the conflict.
Zelensky rejected the idea of a ceasefire as a victory, emphasizing that Ukraine would not settle for any agreement just to end the war. “What they want — ‘just a ceasefire’ — is not a win,” he said, highlighting the importance of maintaining Ukraine’s territorial integrity. He firmly rejected the notion of ceding any territory seized by Russia, declaring, “We will reclaim it all.”
During the interview, which took place at the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky also raised concerns about Europe’s military capabilities, warning that the continent would remain vulnerable without the support of the United States. He described Europe as “weak” in terms of troop strength, combat readiness, and military infrastructure, noting that Europe’s position had not significantly improved in recent years.
Zelensky stressed the critical role of US support in strengthening Ukraine’s resilience against Russian aggression. While Ukraine had become more resilient over the past three years, Zelensky emphasized that a victory for Ukraine would not be possible without continued US assistance. He also discussed the potential deployment of foreign troops to oversee a ceasefire in the future, suggesting that US involvement would be essential in maintaining unity among Ukraine’s allies.
When asked if he would step down for the sake of peace, Zelensky stated that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to secure Ukraine’s future, including stepping down if the country were accepted into the EU and NATO and received security guarantees. “If tomorrow Ukraine were accepted into the EU and NATO, if Russian troops were to withdraw and we got security guarantees, I wouldn’t be needed anymore,” he said.
