Trump knows about our desire not to rush so as not to harm Ukraine – Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has informed Donald Trump of his desire "not to rush to the detriment of Ukraine," he told the French media outlet Le Parisien.
"He knows my desire not to rush to Ukraine's detriment. The country has long fought for its sovereignty. Regardless of how many presidents or prime ministers want to declare an end to the war, we are not going to simply surrender and give up our independence," said Zelenskyy.
He also commented on Trump's statement about achieving "peace in 24 hours." According to Zelenskyy, he heard from the U.S. president-elect that he wants to end the war quickly, but it is not that simple.
The Ukrainian leader noted that Trump currently does not have access to certain information and details about the situation on the frontlines.
"At this time, he is not yet in the White House and cannot have access to all the information: intelligence, the Department of Defense, certain diplomatic channels... When he gets there, we will be able to speak the same language, with the same level of information," Zelenskyy argues.
The Ukrainian leader acknowledged that Trump is a new president for his team, and changes are inevitable. However, Ukraine would like to see stronger support from the United States, the president said.
He also expressed confidence that the U.S. can influence Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
On December 16, Trump stated that his team has made "some progress" in efforts to stop the Russo-Ukrainian war but did not provide further details.
The president-elect also said his team will speak with both Putin and Zelenskyy to end the war.
On December 17, Zelenskyy asserted that there can be no peace talks without Ukraine, as Ukraine has not delegated such authority to anyone.
On the same day, Reuters reported that Trump's special representative will visit Ukraine and Europe in January but will not travel to Russia.