"He's playing with people's lives": Zelenskyy described Putin and warned against making concessions

The President of Ukraine made this statement in an interview with CNN amid renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the war.

Zelenskyy on Putin

According to Zelenskyy, Putin is a dangerous player who does not seek peace and has no regard for human lives.

Putin is playing, you know, he’s a player. It’s a shame, because he’s gambling with other people’s lives, and, of course, he doesn’t want to stop the war– said the Ukrainian leader.

He called on international partners, particularly the U.S., not to give Russia opportunities to strengthen its positions and break Ukrainian resistance.

Zelenskyy paid special attention to the issue of international pressure on the aggressor and the unacceptability of lifting sanctions.

My stance on Putin is very clear. I think that if we lift the sanctions, we’ll make him stronger. This isn’t a personal matter between me and President Trump, and, of course, I’m against any lifting of sanctionshe noted.

The President of Ukraine assured that the tension in relations with Washington is not related to personal issues, but he warned against cozying up to the Kremlin, as this would only make the dictator stronger.

To this day, Putin also maintains his maximalist demands on Ukraine, particularly regarding territorial issues.

Journalists noted that relations between Ukraine and the U.S. have deteriorated in recent weeks. In particular, Zelenskyy noted that the American leader made a major mistake when he decided to purchase diesel fuel from Russia. This decision undermined the international community’s joint efforts to isolate the Kremlin.

Subsequently, Trump also eased some of the sanctions against Russia, drawing criticism even from members of his own party. Later, the Ukrainian Armed Forces encountered difficulties with the Starlink system.

Diplomatic contacts have been revived. This occurred after U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Prior to that, Witkoff had also met with Zelenskyy in Norway.