Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that an official decision by the United States to side with Russia could have catastrophic consequences for Ukraine. According to him, the combined power of Washington and Moscow would leave Ukraine with no chance of holding out in the war.
The Ukrainian leader made the remarks in an interview with NBC News, during which he criticized US President Donald Trump’s recent decisions regarding Russia, the easing of sanctions, restrictions on Starlink services, and the temporary suspension of intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine continues to count on support from the US administration. However, he believes that some of Washington’s recent decisions are effectively helping Vladimir Putin continue his war.
“If the United States officially takes Russia’s side, then, of course, if these two countries are together, we will not prevail, and we will not be able to stand. It’s understandable,” the president stated.
He described the possibility of American support for Russia as a historic mistake that would have tragic consequences for Ukraine.
“If the United States supports Putin, it’s unbelievable. It’s a tragedy. It’s a historic mistake and a big tragedy,” Zelensky stressed.
At the same time, the Ukrainian leader expressed hope that Trump and his administration would remain on Ukraine’s side or at least refrain from supporting Russia.
“We hope that the president and his team will be on our side, at minimum in the middle,” he stated.
Another major topic of the interview was the Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions pressure on Moscow. According to Zelensky, such moves give Putin a sense of victory, even though the Russian military has failed to achieve its objectives on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian president argued that Russia has made no meaningful military gains in 2026, while Ukrainian troops have demonstrated their ability to withstand Russian offensives.
For this reason, Zelensky believes that the easing of US sanctions sends a particularly important political signal to the Kremlin.
“This is really big support for Putin. He feels victory with sanctions and this deal,” Zelensky stated.
He also warned that the current agreements could lead to further discussions about Russian gas and frozen Russian assets. The president considers such developments dangerous for Ukraine.
Another contentious issue involved restrictions on Starlink satellite communications and its military version, Starshield, both of which are used by Ukraine’s defense forces.
Zelensky stated that, according to assessments by Ukraine’s military leadership and government, the initiative to restrict the system’s operating speed came from the US government, while SpaceX implemented the restrictions technically.
However, he acknowledged that he did not know exactly who within the American administration had authorized the decision.
When asked whether the system had been fully restored, Zelensky responded negatively. According to him, restrictions remain in place, with the maximum permitted speed limited to 161 kilometers per hour.
The president also confirmed that the United States had temporarily suspended intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Washington later restored the cooperation, for which Zelensky expressed gratitude.
However, he described the consequences of the temporary suspension as extremely serious. For three days, Ukraine did not receive American warnings about Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Zelensky explained that Ukraine has its own intelligence capabilities and receives information from European partners and dozens of other countries. Nevertheless, the United States possesses unique intelligence capabilities that provide critical warnings about Russian ballistic missile launches.
During the interview, the NBC News journalist also asked Zelensky to respond to Trump’s claim that the Ukrainian president was more difficult to deal with than Putin.
In response, Zelensky emphasized that he always tries to be honest with the American president but will not support decisions that undermine Ukraine’s interests or benefit the Russian leadership.
“I can’t applaud any decisions or any words of one or another leader if they go against Ukraine, if they are supportive of Russia and directly of Putin. He is a killer,” Zelensky declared.
Zelensky added that his frankness might not always be welcomed by Trump, but he considers it essential not to place Ukraine’s leadership on the same level as the Russian president.
“We can’t compare me and Putin. He is an aggressor. He is an occupier. He occupied us. His soldiers killed adults and children. He is a terrorist,” the Ukrainian leader stressed.
Asked directly whether he trusted Donald Trump, Zelensky responded that Ukraine trusts America and its bipartisan support and wants to trust the US president. At the same time, he expressed hope that Trump would reconsider his recent decisions.
“I hope that he will change his decisions, because I think they are all mistakes. It will not help us, and it won’t help the United States,” Zelensky stated.
The president also noted that Ukraine had expected Trump to change his attitude toward Putin from the very beginning of his new presidential term. According to Zelensky, this remains a fundamental issue for the future of US-Ukrainian relations.
When the journalist asked whether he still considered Trump an ally of Ukraine, Zelensky replied twice with a brief answer: “I hope so.”
Reflecting on Ukraine’s prospects, the president acknowledged that continuing the fight without American assistance would be extremely difficult. However, he emphasized that the central issue is not simply whether Ukraine can win, but also the human cost of the war.
In Zelensky’s view, the most dangerous scenario would not merely be a suspension of US assistance to Ukraine, but a situation in which Washington openly supports Russia. Kyiv hopes to avoid precisely such an outcome.
Leave a comment