Zelenskyy warns U.S. alignment with Putin would be historic mistake, calls Trump an ally

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that a formal U.S. alignment with Russian President Vladimir Putin would constitute a “historic mistake,” emphasizing that such a shift would undermine Ukraine’s ability to resist Russian aggression. Speaking on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy said he wants to trust President Donald Trump and hopes the president will reverse recent decisions he views as detrimental to both Ukraine and the United States.

Trump recently issued an executive order waiving newly enacted sanctions that targeted Russia’s oil and gas revenues, arguing the move served U.S. national interests. The waiver followed a deal with Putin to release large volumes of Russian diesel onto the global market amid rising fuel prices. Zelenskyy said the waiver, along with a brief interruption in U.S. intelligence sharing and limits on SpaceX’s Starlink service, has strained relations, noting that the intelligence block left Ukraine “blinded” to incoming ballistic missiles.

Zelenskyy told moderator Kristen Welker that Ukrainian officials believe the Starlink restriction stemmed from a “message from American government,” and he suggested both the U.S. administration and Elon Musk’s company were involved. He added that lifting the restriction would restore the service to its prior state.

Senator James Lankford defended Trump’s sanctions waiver, saying the president is balancing pressure on Russia with the need to protect American consumers from high gas prices. Zelenskyy acknowledged the waiver would strengthen Putin’s resolve but argued it would not significantly affect U.S. oil prices, which he attributed to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Ukrainian leader said he remains open to further talks with U.S. negotiators and expressed gratitude that the intelligence sharing issue has been resolved. He reiterated that a U.S. partnership with Russia would leave Ukraine unable to prevail in the ongoing conflict.