The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, commented on the recent statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Russian leader’s desire to see Ukraine succeed. During a joint press conference on December 30, Zelensky emphasized that there are no grounds to trust Vladimir Putin’s words, even if he expressed similar intentions in his conversation with Trump.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Statements about Donbas and Zelensky’s reaction
In response to journalists’ questions, Zelensky noted that there is a lack of trust in Putin’s words, as the actions of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory indicate the opposite. He stressed that the events in Bakhmut, Vovchansk, Chasiv Yar, and Pokrovsk cannot be considered a success, and such ‘achievements’ can be kept for themselves by Russia.
“No one believes Putin. I don’t know what he said to President Trump, maybe he did say such words, but there is zero faith in those words. If what he did in Bakhmut, Vovchansk, Chasiv Yar, and what he is doing in Pokrovsk now is called success, then let them build that kind of success in Russia,” Zelensky said in response to journalists’ questions.
During the press conference on December 28 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, Zelensky reacted emotionally to the words of the American president, although he did not directly comment on Putin’s statements about Ukraine’s future.
Negotiations on Donbas: positions of the parties
After the discussion with Zelensky on December 28, Donald Trump stated that negotiations regarding the resolution of the situation in Donbas are moving in a positive direction. According to the American leader, despite the complexity of the issues, the parties are getting closer to resolving key problems, particularly regarding the possible establishment of a demilitarized “free economic zone” in the region.
Zelensky, for his part, reported that Trump’s plan for resolving the situation is 90% agreed upon, and expressed hope that many issues could be resolved before the start of the new year.
At the same time, the main obstacle remains the Russian Federation’s demand for full control over the Donbas territory. According to Western sources, the U.S. proposed to turn part of the region into a demilitarized economic zone after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops. Zelensky emphasizes that any territorial concessions must be approved in a nationwide referendum and insists on the mirrored withdrawal of Russian troops from the current line of contact.