'If We Lift Sanctions, We Make Putin Stronger': Zelenskyy Questions Trump for Waiver of Sanctions Against Russia

Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has taken on US President Trump alleging that Trump was getting close to Russian President Putin which was just making him stronger.

Speaking to CNN Zelenskyy said, "We can stop the killings. We can freeze the conflict. The only thing that is important is the result. We have to move from the wartime, we have to move to a diplomatic way of how to get to the real end of this war, how to get peace. And this is very important.

When it was the beginning of President Trump's term, he proposed unconditional ceasefire and we supported, Russia didn't. Then President Trump moved to stop the killings and we supported and Russia is continuing now to kill us each day... Stop the killings, ceasefire or freeze the conflict conflict and have strong security guarantees. Because this is important. The most important thing, not to give any chance for Russia, for Putin to come back to Ukraine and kill our people."

Zelenskyy also took a jibe at what appears to be a climbdown in the US stance on Russia. On Wednesday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff had extensive talks with Putin in St. Petersburg, and going as far as to describe him as a “humanitarian” for his decision to release 74-year-old American prisoner Stephen Hubbard.

“My attitude to Putin is very clear. I think that if we lift sanctions, we will make him stronger. It’s not something personal between me and President Trump, and of course I’m against any lifting of sanctions,” Zelenskyy told CNN.

Earlier on Thursday, Zelenskyy had alleged that Russia continued to attack Ukranian cities with ballistic missiles and cluster warheads.

"Overnight, Russia used, among other weapons, three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads against Kyiv. These missiles are designed to detonate in the air as they approach their targets, spreading damage across an area 400 meters in diameter. One of them struck Pechersk, Kyiv's historic center, hitting the area between the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the Holy Presentation Monastery. Monastery buildings, homes, shops, cafés, and other civilian infrastructure were damaged. This is another extraordinarily revealing strike – revealing because it was no accident. The choice of weapon was deliberate, the choice of target area was deliberate, and so was the intent to inflict as much loss and damage on civilians as possible. There was no military target nearby, not even in theory, and the weapon was designed to cause widespread destruction. Russia has not changed the way it wages this war, and it is taking no steps that would signal a genuine desire to end it," he said.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to maintain a neutral stance after his severe criticism of Zelenskyy. When asked about Zelenskyy's claim that the latest strikes were proof that Putin hadn't changed, the US President said, "We'll see how it all works out. That's been happening a lot."

With Putin continuing his agression and the US not willing to extend any more courtesies the Ukranian conflict continues to keep the world on edge.

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