Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the premise that economic pressure prevents peace. In a CNN interview recorded in Kyiv on Thursday, the Ukrainian president stated that lifting sanctions on Moscow would only make Vladimir Putin stronger. “My attitude to Putin is very clear,” Zelenskyy said. “I think that if we lift sanctions, we will make him stronger.”
The remarks land hard against a backdrop of fraying US-Ukraine ties. Trump recently waived some sanctions after announcing a deal to buy Russian fuel, a move Zelenskyy criticized by calling the US president “on the wrong side of history.” Trump countered that tighter sanctions during delicate negotiations jeopardize agreements, specifically citing the release of American prisoner Stephen Hubbard. “You could forget about him, you’d never see him again,” Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, implying sanctions enabled the prisoner swap.
Diplomatic efforts continue despite the public spat. US special envoy Steve Witkoff spent three hours with Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, following a meeting with Zelenskyy in Norway. Witkoff described Putin as a “humanitarian” for freeing Hubbard. Yet, on the ground, Moscow launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight. The conflict has now lasted four and a half years.
The core dispute remains territory. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations focus on the future of the Donbas region. Zelenskyy indicated Ukraine might accept freezing front lines to stop fighting but ruled out recognizing Russian-occupied areas. “Our land is very important because it’s about people,” he said. “It’s not about kilometers.”
Technical friction persists. Ukraine accused the US of restricting Starlink access and delaying weapons. Zelenskyy said intelligence sharing resumed, but military-grade Starshield access remains incomplete. Trump claimed Elon Musk restored military-grade Starlink access, though a CNN source noted improvements were not universal across all units.