Despite his criticism, Zelensky is betting on Trump

Despite the previous criticism directed at him by US President Donald Trump, it seems that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is still betting on him to stop the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Zelensky, whom Trump previously sarcastically described as the most brilliant political trader ever, believed that the US president-elect was capable of deciding the outcome of the war that has been raging for 34 months with Russia.

He also saw in an interview with Ukrainian television that Trump can confront Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said, “Trump can be decisive… and he is able to stop Putin, or more precisely, to help us stop him.”

Zelensky, who is facing the advance of Russian forces in the east of the country, added that Trump informed him that he would be one of the first visitors to Washington after his inauguration as president this January.

In addition, he explained that the priority is to stabilize the front line early in the new year, adding that Putin fears negotiations because they may constitute a defeat for Russia.

Zelensky stressed that achieving a just peace for Ukraine means obtaining strong security guarantees from its allies, joining the European Union, and receiving an invitation to join NATO, an idea that Moscow rejects.

He also considered that “any security guarantees without the United States would be weak for his country.” (Arabic)