Nothing personal between me and Trump, Zelensky tells CNN

Zelensky urges pressure on Russia as tensions with Trump persist

Activelifezero.com – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky sought to lower the temperature in his country’s strained relationship with Donald Trump while warning that easing pressure on Moscow would strengthen Vladimir Putin and prolong the war.

Speaking from Kyiv on Thursday, Zelensky said the dispute was not rooted in personal animosity. His comments came after several difficult weeks in US-Ukraine relations, including Trump’s decision to pursue an agreement to buy Russian fuel, the easing of some sanctions on Russia, and Ukrainian concerns over weapons, intelligence and Starlink access.

“It’s not something personal between me and President Trump, and of course I’m against of any lifting of sanctions.”

Zelensky argued that sanctions remain an important tool against the Kremlin. In his view, reducing those restrictions would give Putin more room to continue the conflict rather than creating meaningful incentives for peace.

“My attitude to Putin is very clear. I think that if we lift sanctions, we will make him stronger.”

Diplomatic activity continues despite deep differences

The Ukrainian leader’s remarks arrived during a fresh round of diplomacy involving Trump’s administration. US special envoy Steve Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, after meeting Zelensky in Oslo the previous day.

Witkoff’s talks with the Russian president drew controversy after he called Putin a “humanitarian” in connection with the release of Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old American prisoner. Trump defended his approach, saying that tougher sanctions could have left Hubbard imprisoned for decades and might damage delicate negotiations over Ukraine.

Trump has said his administration is closer than ever to reaching a settlement. Yet the gap between the parties remains substantial, particularly over Ukrainian territory and the future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the central dispute concerns the parts of Donbas still not under Russian control. He said potential ideas had been discussed for resolving that question, though no detailed proposal was publicly outlined.

For Kyiv, any arrangement must not be mistaken for recognition of Russia’s territorial claims. Zelensky indicated that a halt along the existing battlefield positions could provide space for a ceasefire and negotiations, but he ruled out surrendering territory held by Ukraine.

“Our land is very important because it’s about people. It’s not about kilometers.”

He stressed that Ukrainians had died defending their country and independence, making the issue more than a question of lines on a map. Zelensky also said Ukraine would never accept Russia’s annexation of occupied areas.

“Nobody will recognize these territories, which are temporarily occupied, as Russian territories.”

Kyiv questions Moscow’s intentions

Zelensky said his Oslo meeting with Witkoff had been productive, but he remained unconvinced that Putin genuinely wants to end the war. After the envoy’s visit, Putin agreed to talks in November, although the Russian side offered little detail about the proposed discussions.

The Ukrainian president portrayed Putin as someone using negotiations to gain advantage while the conflict continues.

“Putin is playing, you know, he is a player,” Zelensky said. “It’s a pity because he plays with the lives of other people.”

His message to Ukraine’s partners was that diplomacy should not result in Russia being given more leverage over a country under attack. Zelensky said the priority should be preventing Moscow from becoming stronger or breaking Ukraine’s ability to resist.

That warning was underscored by another major Russian assault. Between Wednesday evening and early Thursday, strikes on Kyiv killed one person and injured at least 22 others. The attacks followed Trump’s assertion that a peace agreement may be within reach, demonstrating the contrast between diplomatic contacts and continuing military escalation.

Russia launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight, while Putin maintained broad demands that include territorial concessions. For Ukrainians, the sequence has reinforced concern that negotiations without sustained pressure could allow Moscow to secure battlefield gains without ending its campaign.

US support remains central to Ukraine’s position

Relations with Washington have been complicated by Ukrainian claims that the United States limited intelligence sharing concerning incoming Russian missiles, slowed vital Starlink services and delayed weapons deliveries. Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s company, has become a significant element of Ukraine’s communications capability during the war.

Zelensky adopted a conciliatory tone in discussing Trump, emphasizing that the disagreement should not be treated as a clash of personalities. But his comments made clear that Kyiv sees sanctions, military support and reliable communications access as interconnected parts of its security.

The broader diplomatic challenge is whether a ceasefire can be achieved without forcing Ukraine to validate Russian control over occupied land. Zelensky’s position suggests Kyiv may be open to stopping active fighting along current lines as part of a process toward talks, while rejecting any formal transfer of sovereignty.

As envoys pursue another opening for negotiations, Ukraine faces a familiar dilemma: support efforts to end the bloodshed while avoiding terms that could leave Russia stronger and make another conflict more likely. Zelensky’s message was that peace cannot rest solely on promises from Moscow, particularly while Russian strikes continue and the status of Ukrainian territory remains unresolved.