Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was optimistic about U.S. pressure on Moscow to end Russia's all-out war on Ukraine, according to a new interview, though he said he thought President Donald Trump was unclear how to do that.
In comments published January 25 with the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, Zelenskyy also pushed back on calls for more changes to the country's mobilization system, suggesting it would result in mass desertions.
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The interview was conducted by Cecila Sala, a journalist and popular podcaster who was released from a Tehran prison earlier this month after 21 days in custody.
Zelenskyy's comments come as behind-the-scenes negotiations to resolve the nearly-three-year-old invasion ramp up following Trump's inauguration.
Trump has vowed to quickly end Russia's all-out invasion, launched on February 24, 2022, and two of his top security aides, Keith Kellogg and Mike Waltz, have floated different ways they say Russia could be used to push a cease-fire or peace deal. Trump has said he wants to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin as soon as possible.
Zelenskyy praised Trump's threats of increased economic sanctions to pressure Russia. However, he also said he told Trump about previous negotiations with "Putin giving his word and then not keeping it."
"I think [Trump] is not clear on the details," he was quoted as saying. "Almost everything depends on what we Ukrainians are able to secure to protect ourselves, because we will not make the mistakes of the past again."
"I told [Trump] frankly that Putin definitely does not want" to end the war, he said, "so it will not happen quickly. But Trump, thanks to his strength, sanctions, the strength of the U.S., and the economy, can speed it up."
Zelenskyy said he reminded Trump about the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, the deal under which Ukraine agreed to give up its small holdings of nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees -- from Russia, the United States, and Britain. Some Ukrainians say Kyiv would have been able to deter Russia from invading if it had kept the weapons.
SEE ALSO: Inside The Program To Dismantle Ukraine's Nuclear WeaponsGiving up the weapons was "absolutely stupid, illogical, and very irresponsible," the Ukrainian leader said.
"If I could go back to 1994, I would only trade our nuclear weapons for something that could truly deter any aggressor, regardless of their political power, territorial size, or military strength," Zelenskyy was quoted as saying. "Trump said, ‘Yes, I understand what you're saying. You cannot make the same mistake three times'."
Ukraine has been steadily losing ground on the battlefield for nearly a year now, as Russia's bigger and better-armed military has been grinding down Ukrainian defenses and inflicting massive casualties.
One of Kyiv's biggest problems has been recruiting enough men to replenish depleted units. The government last year overhauled its system for mobilizing men, but Ukraine's frontline forces are still badly outnumbered. Zelenskyy has also resisted lowering the draft age to 18, saying it would decimate the country's demographics.
SEE ALSO: The Woes Of The 155th: A French-Trained Brigade’s Problems Highlight Bigger Ukrainian DifficultiesThe personnel problems have come into sharp focus with newly created brigades, some of which have seen mass desertions.
"Today, we are defending ourselves. If tomorrow, for instance, half the army heads home, we really should have surrendered on the very first day," Zelenskyy said. "That is how it is. If half the army goes home, Putin will kill us all."