Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a pointed and high-stakes appeal to US President Donald Trump, urging him to ensure the United States remains firmly aligned with Kyiv as the war with Russia enters its fifth year and the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion draws near.
Speaking in an interview in Kyiv, Zelenskyy’s comments reflected a mix of urgency and frustration as peace negotiations remain stalled and Ukraine continues to press Western allies for stronger security assurances. The Ukrainian leader underscored the importance of sustained American backing at a time when the conflict shows little sign of resolution.
At the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said he wanted Trump ‘to stay on our side’, stressing that the US, as ‘a democratic country which is fighting against one person’, plays a decisive role in shaping the trajectory of the war. “They have to stay with a democratic country which is fighting against one person.
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Because this person is a war. Putin is a war. It's all about himself. It's all about one person. And the country, all his country is in the prison,” Zelenskyy said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy also criticised what he views as insufficient pressure from Washington on Moscow to halt hostilities. He pushed back against suggestions that territorial concessions or elections could help ease the fighting, arguing that surrendering land in eastern Donetsk—home to around 200,000 civilians—would amount to abandoning Ukrainian citizens and weakening national defence.
“Russia wants us just to withdraw our army. We can't be such, sorry, foolish guys. We are not children,” he said, reiterating Kyiv’s firm stance against ceding additional territory in any future peace settlement.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy marked four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, declaring that Ukraine has managed to preserve its independence and frustrate Moscow’s initial objectives.
In a post on X, he wrote, “Today marks exactly four years since Putin started his three-day push to take Kyiv. And that says a great deal about our resistance, about how Ukraine has fought all this time.” He was alluding to early expectations that Russian forces would swiftly capture the capital.
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