Zelensky believes the US "has all the powers" to improve peace talks with Putin
"We understand that Russia is striking deliberately, although it often chooses targets at random so that people suffer," claimed the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the interview published by ABC News. He also added that "the United States has all the powers and enough leverage" to benefit the peace talks.
"What Putin said [the so-called ‘response’ to Operation Spider Web] is not true, because if you look at our operation, exactly one day before it, there was the most massive strike on Ukraine," stated Volodymyr Zelensky in his interview with ABC News, as reported by the Ukrinform.
"He [Putin] wanted to find justification for his next strikes. We see and understand this. People may not know, but they must understand. We understand the daily strikes because we have intelligence and various figures. We understand that Russia is striking deliberately, although it often chooses targets at random so that people suffer," Zelensky added, claiming President Putin is trying to manipulate the public by misrepresenting Russian strikes on Ukraine. According to President Zelensky, the Russian President calls strikes on Ukrainian soil "retaliatory strikes."
President Zelensky also suggested that Russia will not withdraw from attacking Ukraine even during "ceasefire" or "billateral ceasefire." "They think that with such pressure, they will be able to influence the situation politically late," Zelensky commented.
"You might remember that when they were talking about ceasefires, temporary ceasefire[s], they still continued attacking and launching strikes," President Zelensky added, reminding that just last week, Russia launched 472 drones on Ukraine.
Role of the US in negotiations
President Volodymyr Zelensky, in the interview, also claimed that President Putin is not interested in peace. He claimed that only "hard pressure" can force the Russian President to be "pragmatic" in his thinking. President Zelensky also emphasised that both the US and Europe should pressure the Russian head of state to make peace.
"Then they will stop the war," argued Zelensky, adding that he is "convinced that the president of the United States has all the powers and enough leverage to step up." He also encouraged diplomacy as the primary tool for peace.
