Former US President, Donald Trump will be “against Americans” if he chooses to support Russia over Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned the Republican party presidential front-runner as as Ukraine enters a third year of full-scale war with Russia.
Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in Kyiv as the war reaches a pivotal moment, Zelensky said he “can’t understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”
“It’s unbelievable,” he added.
Trump, who is on the verge of becoming the Republican presidential nominee after winning the South Carolina Republican primary, has in the past refused to say whether he wants Russia or Ukraine to win the war.
Zelensky said that he believed Trump did not understand Putin’s goals.
Last year Trump said he would end the conflict in one day if elected.
“I think Donald Trump doesn’t know Putin,” Zelensky said. “I know he met him… but he never fought with Putin. (The) American army never fought with the army of Russia. Never… I have a better understanding,” he said.
“I don’t think he understands that Putin will never stop,” he said.
The interview comes at the end of a weekend in which Ukraine marked the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Kyiv suffered a major defeat earlier this month when Ukrainian troops withdrew from Avdiivka, an eastern city they held for a decade.
Zelensky and other Ukrainian and Western officials said Avdiivka was lost because troops did not have enough ammunition to defend it.
Yet despite the horrific consequences of these shortages, the US Congress continues to stall on President Joe Biden’s $60 billion military aid package for Ukraine.
Zelensky said that without US aid, Ukraine will not only struggle to make any new gains on the battlefield, but it will also find it difficult to keep defending itself this year.
“People will be prepared, but ammunition will not be prepared and brigades will not be ready… not only for our counter-offensive, they will not be ready to defend, to stay strong. It will be very difficult,” he said.
Ukraine’s new army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi is reportedly drawing up two versions of a plan on what to do next, he said. If Kyiv gets US assistance, it will be able to start pushing back against Russia. If it doesn’t, it will have to focus on defending only.
Zelensky said that he had spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson about the aid package and was feeling optimistic after that conversation.
“He said that he will do everything to support Ukraine, and he’s on our side, and he understands how heroic our people, our soldiers and civilians (are),” he said.
Zelensky added that while he understands the US is heading into elections, he is hoping an agreement can be reached.
“If they will change their minds, it’s a big problem for us,” he said.
“I asked President (Biden)… ‘please, president, I’m asking you to help me and to help the Ukrainian people… please have one meeting with each other, Democrats and Republicans, and please, can you have a deal?’” he said.