KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated Tuesday that his nation remains committed to ending the nearly five-year war with Russia and continues to view the United States as a critical ally, despite deteriorating relations with the Trump administration.
In an interview with NPR, Zelenskyy confirmed that his military leadership had been notified that Washington might restrict access to American weapons and intelligence. However, he noted that such restrictions have not yet been implemented. This comes after President Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the U.S. is still sharing intelligence and aiding Ukraine, adding that Washington desires the conflict to conclude.
Zelenskyy emphasized that while Ukraine desires peace, its forces will continue to attack Russian military capabilities as long as there is no enforced truce. He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin only comprehends the language of force rather than diplomacy.
Tensions between Kyiv and the White House have escalated recently. On Friday, the Trump administration moved to relax sanctions on Russian diesel exports, a decision Zelenskyy described as a “weak decision by strong partners.” The move reportedly blindsided Ukrainian officials. In response over the weekend, Trump suggested on social media that Ukraine needed a new leader who could negotiate a peace deal with Putin.
Compounding the friction, Zelenskyy revealed that he learned of Trump’s claim regarding a bilateral energy ceasefire through social media, specifically the former president’s Truth Social account, rather than through official diplomatic channels. Trump had announced the partial truce on Sunday, intended to stop attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, a declaration that caught Kyiv off guard.
I’m skeptical about the ‘mutual’ aspect here. Can Ukraine really trust any truce when their allies are simultaneously relaxing sanctions on Russia?
Zelenskyy’s point about Putin only understanding force is compelling. Diplomacy seems to have hit a wall with no enforcement mechanism.
It is frankly shocking that Zelenskyy learned about a major ceasefire proposal via social media instead of official channels. That is diplomatic negligence.