Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his differences with US President Donald Trump are “not about personalities”, warning that lifting sanctions against Russia would strengthen President Vladimir Putin and undermine efforts to end the war.In an interview with CNN in Kyiv on Thursday, Zelenskyy said he was opposed to easing sanctions on Moscow, arguing that Putin had no intention of ending the conflict.“My attitude to Putin is very clear. I think that if we lift sanctions, we will make him stronger. It’s not something personal between me and President Trump, and of course I’m against any lifting of sanctions.”Relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated in recent weeks. Zelenskyy had criticised Trump as being “on the wrong side of history” after the US president announced a deal to buy Russian fuel, raising concerns over international efforts to isolate Moscow. Trump subsequently waived some sanctions against Russia, drawing criticism even from members of his own party.Ukraine also faced restrictions on access to Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, as questions grew over Washington’s continued support for Kyiv.Zelenskyy’s remarks came amid renewed diplomatic efforts by Trump’s envoys to find a resolution to the four-and-a-half-year war.
Zelenskyy questions Putin’s commitment to peace
US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in St Petersburg on Wednesday for three hours. Witkoff had met Zelenskyy in Norway a day earlier and described Putin as a “humanitarian” over his decision to release 74-year-old American prisoner Stephen Hubbard.Trump said on Wednesday that tighter sanctions against Russia could have prevented Hubbard’s release and damaged efforts to reach a peace deal.“You could forget about him, you’d never see him again, he’d be back in jail for 25 years,” Trump said in response to a question from CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.He also argued that imposing sanctions during negotiations could jeopardise an agreement.“When you’re close to a deal and you have delicate negotiations, you don’t put sanctions on.”Zelenskyy described his meeting with Witkoff in Oslo as productive but said he remained doubtful about Putin’s willingness to end the war. Putin has agreed to talks in November but has provided few details about the proposed discussions.Also Read: Will back all meaningful efforts for Ukraine peace, PM Modi assures Poland’s Tusk“Putin is playing, you know, he is a player,” Zelenskyy said.“It’s a pity because he plays with the lives of other people, and of course he doesn’t want (to stop the war). So what we want from our partners (is) not to give him a possibility to be stronger and break us.”Trump said on Wednesday that his administration was “the closest we’ve been” to settling the conflict. However, Russia launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight.Moscow has also maintained its demands for territory. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that negotiations were largely focused on the future of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, most of which is under Russian control.“The fight now is really concentrated on what happens in the remainder of Donbas,” Rubio said, adding that “there’s been some creative ideas that have been put out there about how to resolve that difference.”Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine could consider freezing the current front lines as a way to stop the fighting and begin negotiations. However, he ruled out giving up territory that remains under Ukrainian control or recognising Russian-occupied areas as part of Russia.The Ukrainian president said a ceasefire could provide an opportunity to halt the bloodshed and hold further talks.“Our land is very important because it’s about people. It’s not about kilometers,” he said. “A lot of people died defending this land, defending our independence, our country.”“Nobody will recognize these territories, which are temporarily occupied, as Russian territories, and I think Russia understands it. It’s a pity if somebody doesn’t understand, but it’s up to them,” he added.
Ukraine seeks clarity on Starlink access, more air defence missiles
There have been some signs of improving ties between Washington and Kyiv after Ukraine accused the US of limiting intelligence sharing on incoming Russian missiles, restricting vital Starlink services and delaying weapons supplies.Zelenskyy said earlier this week that intelligence sharing had resumed. However, he told CNN that access to Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade satellite communications service, had not been fully restored.Trump said on Thursday that Musk had restored Ukraine’s access to the military-grade version of Starlink, although he declined to say whether he had personally asked the billionaire to do so.Some Ukrainian military units reported improved internet speeds after the reported restoration. However, a source familiar with the matter told CNN that the improvement was not universal and that access did not provide unlimited speeds.The source said the service was “clearly not enough to intercept jet powered drones.” Ukraine is awaiting further information and clarification from the US, the source added.Ukraine is also facing a critical shortage of interceptor missiles. Although its military receives warnings about incoming Russian ballistic missiles, it does not have enough weapons to intercept them.
Finland announces €300 million support package
Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Finland would provide Ukraine with a fresh support package worth €300 million ($336 million). The two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation, including through greater Ukrainian use of Finland’s satellite capabilities.“Thank you for your willingness to support our logistics and energy sectors—these are key targets for Russia right now, and having more locomotives, more energy equipment, and more resources to protect our energy infrastructure will truly make a difference,” Zelenskyy said at a joint press conference with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.He also said Ukraine needed more support from its European allies, particularly in air defence, as the missiles supplied so far were insufficient to protect the country.Zelenskyy said Ukraine needed two key things from its partners: “Not to lift sanctions from Putin … (and) to give us better missiles.”