Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made this statement, as reported by RBK-Ukraine citing his interview with Fox News. This was also reported by Kontakty.UA.
"If President Trump wants to make Putin come to peace, he can do it," Zelensky stated.
The head of state added that he hopes any potential peace agreement will be more than just a piece of paper.
"We want him (Trump, - ed.) to be on the side of justice, on the side of Ukraine," the president emphasized.
According to Zelensky, Trump's rhetoric regarding Putin and negotiations is "fair and just." He added that this is exactly what the Russian dictator fears - a strong leader supporting Ukraine.
The head of state also called for increased international pressure on Putin, particularly from China, to achieve peace and "broader security guarantees."
"I believe that guarantees from Europe alone will never be enough. Europeans understand that without security guarantees from the U.S., from President Trump, it will be insufficient. Putin does not fear Europe. Unfortunately, that is the case," Zelensky said.
The president noted that before the full-scale Russian invasion, he asked former President Joe Biden and his team to take preventive actions, such as imposing sanctions against Russia. Zelensky also mentioned that he requested weapons, but was told they would only be provided if Russia attacked.
"In parallel, I asked European Union countries, and they could not act without the approval of the United States. Therefore, they always look to the United States as a leader. So, during the large-scale invasion, Ukrainians were left alone, and we fought on our own," he stated.
Trump's Statements on Ukraine
Even before winning the election, Donald Trump claimed that he could supposedly end the war between Russia and Ukraine in a day. Later, Western media reported that Trump allegedly instructed his special representative, Keith Kellogg, to conclude the war in Ukraine within 100 days.
After his inauguration, Trump reached out to Putin, calling for a ceasefire agreement to be reached soon. He also threatened Russia with additional tariffs and sanctions.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, he expressed a desire to meet with Putin and voiced hope that China would help end the war.