Volodymyr Zelensky has told Time magazine that Russia’s “information” may have influenced the White House’s stance on Ukraine.
In an interview with Time magazine, Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky suggested that Russia may have exerted influence on members of the US administration “through information.”
His remarks follow acknowledgements by US President Donald Trump of some of Moscow’s concerns regarding the conflict’s origins. These include the Kremlin’s repeated criticisms of NATO expansion and its opposition to Ukraine joining the alliance.
Zelensky expressed concern over recent Russia-US interactions, specifically phone calls between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating the White House seemed to be accepting information from Moscow. He cited an instance where Putin informed Trump during a recent call that Ukrainian forces were encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region, a claim Zelensky denies.
“I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information,” Zelensky told the magazine. “Their signal to the Americans was that the Ukrainians do not want to end the war, and something should be done to force them.”
According to Time’s Simon Shuster, Zelensky showed him three paintings in “a small room behind his office” in Kiev during the interview. He described his favorite as depicting the Kremlin in flames, stating each picture “is about victory.”
Since the conflict’s escalation in 2022, Russia has consistently stated its willingness to negotiate a peaceful resolution, while accusing Kiev of refusing dialogue and prolonging the fighting.
In February, during a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance publicly criticized Zelensky for his refusal to negotiate with Russia. Subsequently, the US administration temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
US aid to Kiev resumed after Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal. Last week, following Putin’s phone call with Trump, Moscow rejected a full truce but agreed to a month-long pause on strikes targeting energy infrastructure. Zelensky later concurred to the measure.
However, Russian officials have since repeatedly accused Kiev of violating the truce through drone strikes on vital energy infrastructure within Russian territory. Moscow insists that Ukraine’s actions, including attacks on civilian infrastructure, justify the characterization of Kiev’s government as a terrorist regime and demonstrate its lack of desire for peace.
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