Zelenskyy says Russia has ‘influenced’ some people in White House

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a recent interview with the Time opened up on his disastrous White House clash with President Donald Trump last month.

The Ukrainian leader said he thought Russia has managed to influence some people in the White House through misinformation.

“I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information. Their signal to the Americans was that the Ukrainians do not want to end the war, and something should be done to force them,” said Zelenskyy.

He further stated that Ukrainians don’t consider themselves as some superpower but still preferred dignity.

“We do not consider ourselves some kind of superpower,” Zelenskyy said. On the contrary, Ukrainians “are very emotional, and when it comes to our sense of dignity, freedom, democracy, our people rise up and unite.”

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Reflecting on his clash with Trump, Zelenskyy insisted he was “defending the dignity of Ukraine.”

Following the explosive clash, Trump cut off American aid to Ukraine as well as the sharing of intelligence with Kyiv’s forces.

It continued until March 11 when Ukraine finally agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Russia during talks in Saudi Arabia.

Zelenskyy has refrained from criticising Trump in public, saying, “leave that to history” when pressed by the Times reporter to talk more on the issue.

For Trump though, the public shouting match was a tactic to pressure Ukraine to fall in line.

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'We want unconditional ceasefire, we're ready to resist': Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on peace talks

“You got to see a little glimpse at the Oval Office, but I think they are doing the right thing now, and we are trying to get the peace agreement done. We want to get a ceasefire and then a peace agreement,” said the US leader.

And he may have succeeded too.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha last week told Firstpost that his country wants an unconditional ceasefire with Russia and is willing to resist if Russia does not accept the proposal on the table.

In a conversation with Managing Editor Palki Sharma at Firstpost’s IdeasPod during the Raisina Dialogue, Sybiha said, “We believe the war will end this year — we really want the war to end this year. All of us are united by this strategic goal to achieve just, comprehensive, and long-lasting peace. Ukraine supports the US proposal for a ceasefire — temporary ceasefire. We are expecting the Russian response to accept the unconditional ceasefire. It will be a huge step forward to make this peace closer.”