Zelenskyy talks Trump, rising diesel prices and the ongoing war in his country | NPR

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[0:00] On Friday, President Trump announced on

[0:02] Truth Social that Russia would supply

[0:04] diesel to the US and global markets. And

[0:06] he wrote, "Lower prices for Americans,

[0:09] especially our great farmers, ranchers,

[0:11] and truckers. Those are my greatest

[0:13] priority." Now, the Ukrainian people are

[0:16] obviously your greatest priority. And

[0:18] so, if you could explain to an American

[0:20] audience what this deal means for your

[0:23] country and for Russia's ability to

[0:25] finance its war on your country.

[0:28] >> Thanks so much. So, first of all about

[0:30] this decision, the decision of President

[0:33] of the United States to uh

[0:36] this volume

[0:39] of diesel

[0:41] of course will not influence on on the

[0:44] price in the United States.

[0:46] Uh I'm sure. Yeah, because the volume is

[0:49] not enough. This is the first. The

[0:51] second, but it's not enough for United

[0:54] States, but it's quite enough for Russia

[0:58] to spend more time more more sorry

[1:01] more money much money

[1:03] on on the war. I mean, this it's a

[1:05] mistake. This is my opinion. And of

[1:08] course, maybe President Trump he has his

[1:11] issues and he is he he's own right

[1:14] his steps to decide what to do. But we

[1:18] had a lot of meetings. We described our

[1:21] situations. He has all the information

[1:23] from intelligence. I'm sure this diesel

[1:26] will not help Americans, but will help

[1:29] Putin.

[1:29] >> Mhm. How did you find out about the

[1:32] energy ceasefire that President Trump

[1:34] announced? Did you Did he call you? Did

[1:36] you find out about it on Truth Social

[1:37] like I did? How How did you find out

[1:39] about it?

[1:40] >> Truth Social like you.

[1:42] >> Truth Social?

[1:42] >> We are together ordinary people.

[1:45] President [laughter] didn't call us.

[1:47] Yeah, yeah, but it's okay. I mean, this

[1:49] it doesn't matter what way between us.

[1:52] We need the results for

[1:54] we are ordinary people and we need the

[1:56] result for ordinary people in Ukraine.

[1:59] What we need, if it's energy ceasefire,

[2:01] if it can work this way

[2:04] by just announcing, "Okay, we will

[2:07] support."

[2:07] >> How do you feel when President Trump

[2:10] says

[2:11] that it's Ukraine's long-range drone

[2:14] strikes, as you also call them,

[2:16] are long-range sanctions? I've heard

[2:18] that not only from you, but from the

[2:19] soldiers we've been with out in the

[2:20] field.

[2:22] How do you feel when you hear him blame

[2:25] those for the high cost of diesel?

[2:28] Like 100%, like this is what's causing

[2:30] it.

[2:33] >> I can't I can't be I

[2:36] It's okay for me.

[2:38] I mean, this is not the first time.

[2:40] That's why it's okay for me.

[2:41] >> They're blaming you. Okay.

[2:42] >> Yeah.

[2:43] >> Or Ukraine.

[2:44] >> Yeah, I mean, that

[2:47] So, when I know the truth,

[2:50] I'm strong

[2:51] because I know the truth.

[2:52] >> Mhm.

[2:53] >> And I'm very strong because mostly

[2:55] people in the world know why the prices

[2:58] on any kind of energy, including diesel,

[3:01] raised up. Why they increased? Because

[3:04] of Ormus. Because of blocking the Strait

[3:08] of Ormus. Everybody understand that. And

[3:12] you can see

[3:13] the time

[3:15] when the prices

[3:17] raise up. Yes? So, we know the time, at

[3:21] the same time, when the Strait of Ormus

[3:24] been blocked.

[3:24] >> So, you called President Trump's diesel

[3:28] Russian diesel announcement a weak

[3:30] decision by a

[3:31] strong partner.

[3:33] So, explain why you believe your strong

[3:35] partner,

[3:37] at least historically, is making a weak

[3:39] decision that benefits Moscow. Why do

[3:41] you think it happened?

[3:43] >> I don't know all the reasons. And it's a

[3:45] pity. I think that we have to be true

[3:49] partners, strategic partners, and very

[3:52] strong because I know that United States

[3:54] is very strong and I hope United States

[4:00] understands that we are strong partners.

[4:02] Also, we are in Europe and we are strong

[4:05] strong enough and our army is strong and

[4:09] we are strong politically also. It's in

[4:12] our character. When Putin attacked us

[4:14] and began occupation, we didn't run

[4:16] away. We stood strong and always been on

[4:20] this right side, on the side of Western

[4:22] partners, on the side of Europe and of

[4:24] course on the side of the American

[4:26] people. And that's why I think that when

[4:28] you have such partners and such

[4:30] relations and such dialogue, you have to

[4:32] value such relations. We are more

[4:36] strong, much more strong partners than

[4:38] Russia.

[4:39] >> Yeah.

[4:39] >> And and that's why I think that the

[4:42] any strong steps

[4:44] when you strengthen

[4:48] your country.

[4:50] And I think this step

[4:52] will not have influence.

[4:54] Only only will give some additional

[4:57] energy to Putin.

[4:58] >> Mhm.

[4:59] >> And it's a pity additional money. It's

[5:01] mean additional weapon and it's mean

[5:03] additional more attacks on Ukraine.

[5:07] >> [clears throat]

[5:08] >> That's why my reaction was I mean this

[5:10] with all respect to president by the

[5:11] way. I mean this my reaction was very

[5:13] open because I think that we are true

[5:15] partners and we have to speak each other

[5:18] the truth.

[5:19] >> Mhm.

[5:19] >> And the second I react because when you

[5:22] get the news from media

[5:24] >> Mhm.

[5:24] >> you react in media.

[5:26] I think so because

[5:28] United States when they speak with

[5:30] Russia not through media

[5:33] by phone.

[5:34] >> Mhm.

[5:34] >> Ukrainians have got the information

[5:36] through media.

[5:37] >> I wanted you know you're talking about

[5:39] sort of why don't they keep us in the

[5:41] loop? Why don't the Americans tell us

[5:44] what they're doing? You know, why do we

[5:46] have to find out about it from media? Do

[5:48] you feel like that the Trump

[5:50] administration does not take you

[5:51] seriously as a partner in these peace

[5:54] negotiations? Uh, and

[5:57] and do you feel like you can make your

[5:58] case to Jared Kushner or Mr. Witkoff um

[6:03] to try to change that dynamic?

[6:08] >> Oh, no. By the way, we

[6:11] had several conversations and then been

[6:13] good conversation during last two

[6:15] months. And really often communication

[6:18] with each other by phone and etc. So, I

[6:21] mean, we are very open any days. That's

[6:24] why I'm I'm in this It's our our

[6:27] schedule

[6:28] doesn't matter when we speak about

[6:31] about how to end this war, how to stop

[6:33] Putin, how to make a peace

[6:36] deal like Americans said. I mean, this

[6:39] we are open even if we are not here,

[6:42] we'll be in Brussels or in London or any

[6:45] way, we we are open to meet and to

[6:48] decide.

[6:50] So, for us this is important.

[6:52] >> Mhm.

[6:53] Um

[6:54] So,

[6:56] I heard you heard and saw your talk at

[6:58] the Warsaw Security Forum.

[7:00] And afterwards President Trump's former

[7:04] Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg, he

[7:06] said and I quote,

[7:08] "I'd burn down every damn oil refinery

[7:11] Russia has today. I'd take them all out

[7:13] of commission."

[7:14] Is he right and will you continue

[7:17] striking Russian refineries despite

[7:19] President Trump's demands to stop?

[7:22] >> Russia doesn't understand just words.

[7:25] It's a pity.

[7:27] Absolutely. In our century, I think the

[7:29] dialogue is more powerful

[7:32] weapon

[7:34] and and very humanitarian way

[7:36] >> Mhm.

[7:37] >> of any format of negotiations. But

[7:41] Russia doesn't understand.

[7:43] They really speak their language and

[7:47] it's not Russian language. It's weapon

[7:49] language and they understand only the

[7:52] strong position.

[7:54] And that's why I said that

[7:56] lifting sanctions is it's weak for

[7:57] Russians in their eyes. Maybe from other

[8:00] side you look to some logistic steps,

[8:03] logical steps and they say no, no, it's

[8:04] not about it, not about Putin. He

[8:07] understands only one thing. That's why

[8:09] we respond.

[8:11] >> Force.

[8:12] He only understands force.

[8:14] >> Yes, absolutely. That's why I understand

[8:16] what General Kelly said.

[8:18] >> Does it frustrate you then that that

[8:21] President Trump continues to

[8:24] placate the Russians or I don't know I

[8:26] don't know if it's favor the Russians,

[8:27] but at least placate the Russians?

[8:29] >> I don't know. It's I mean this is

[8:31] President's choice because I don't know

[8:34] it maybe it's his tactics. I I really

[8:36] don't know.

[8:37] >> you feel? How do you Does it make you

[8:38] feel?

[8:40] >> Really?

[8:41] >> Really?

[8:42] >> Mhm.

[8:44] I'm not sure that you will

[8:46] you will like it.

[8:48] We are

[8:51] we are different people. I think that

[8:54] uh

[8:54] President Trump

[8:56] mhm I maybe he he likes such people.

[9:00] I don't know because

[9:01] >> you mean?

[9:02] >> Like like Putin.

[9:05] >> I'm going to pivot a little bit to

[9:07] intelligence sharing

[9:08] uh and weapons again. Um has the US

[9:12] explicitly threatened to withdraw

[9:14] intelligence uh

[9:16] intelligence sharing with the with with

[9:19] Ukraine?

[9:20] Um and the Pearl Initiative, have they

[9:23] discussed that with you? Um

[9:26] and and I ask this at least about the

[9:28] intelligence sharing because last night

[9:30] um when I heard several explosions in a

[9:32] row at my house and I got a bunch of

[9:35] calls from my friends, the first because

[9:36] I'm a journalist, the first thing they

[9:38] asked me is, "Do you know if they've

[9:39] stopped intelligence sharing?" And I

[9:40] said, "How would I know?" Um so, I

[9:43] wanted to ask you, has it stopped? Um

[9:46] have they talk talked to you about it?

[9:48] And uh and also about the Pearl

[9:50] Initiative with weapons, are they going

[9:52] to continue that?

[9:53] And I mean the Trump administration.

[9:54] >> About last [clears throat] uh about last

[9:55] night, yes, we really had massive

[9:58] attack.

[9:59] Um

[10:01] And we had five ballistic missiles.

[10:03] Uh which

[10:05] we uh the direction was Kyiv Kyiv

[10:07] region.

[10:08] >> Yeah.

[10:09] >> Yes.

[10:10] And um

[10:12] they targeted

[10:13] railway mostly railway

[10:17] uh and the department. And uh

[10:20] and we didn't get the information.

[10:23] >> You did not get the information.

[10:24] >> didn't get the information about

[10:26] ballistic missile. This is really our

[10:29] weak

[10:30] place because we get different

[10:32] information from different partners. Be

[10:34] honest, different partners.

[10:36] And uh

[10:38] >> [clears throat]

[10:39] >> And between us after first messages

[10:42] uh from uh

[10:45] in 2025 that something can be caught or

[10:48] something like this, yes, we increased

[10:51] the information from different partners.

[10:54] So, we get from the United States very

[10:56] necessary information, but not only from

[10:58] the United States. But in anyway, we are

[11:00] thankful to Americans for for this

[11:02] information for to American side. This

[11:04] is very important. But we didn't get

[11:06] uh then my generals had com-

[11:09] communication just uh 1 2 hours ago.

[11:12] They said, "No, nobody stopped. Nobody

[11:15] blocked. It was a technical problem."

[11:18] >> Ah, so

[11:19] >> We've got just just now.

[11:21] >> Intelligence sharing is continuing.

[11:22] >> uh they told my generals, not to me.

[11:24] Yeah. But if to

[11:28] honest, did we get any messages that it

[11:30] can be stopped if if if yes.

[11:33] >> Yeah.

[11:34] >> Yes, my generals told me that on the

[11:37] level of military people they've got

[11:39] this information.

[11:40] >> Yeah, like they've said that the that

[11:41] they that they're

[11:43] that they're threatening to stop it.

[11:46] >> So they've got the information that it

[11:48] can be stopped.

[11:49] >> Oh, okay, but I'm saying that the

[11:50] intelligence sharing

[11:52] are they threatening is the Trump

[11:54] administration threatening to stop it

[11:56] unless you also stop the long long range

[11:59] long range strike sorry my voice is

[12:00] going.

[12:01] >> No, my generals what what my military

[12:04] stuff what what they did they tell that

[12:06] they've got messages from military

[12:09] people that

[12:12] that

[12:14] we we have such risk

[12:16] because of the situation

[12:18] and because of

[12:20] this situation.

[12:22] >> So

[12:23] the tough tough like this another

[12:25] sensitive topic which is

[12:29] President

[12:30] Trump has once again this weekend called

[12:32] for a new president here it's obviously

[12:34] not the first time.

[12:36] This is something that Moscow has also

[12:38] called for and he has repeatedly raised

[12:40] the question of Ukrainian elections. So

[12:43] do you see this as an attempt to

[12:44] influence who leads Ukraine

[12:47] and how do you see your political

[12:49] future?

[12:56] >> [laughter]

[12:58] >> No.

[12:59] Look.

[13:01] I want to end this war.

[13:05] I have only one goal

[13:07] to end this war as quick as possible.

[13:11] And

[13:12] I'm focusing on it.

[13:14] When

[13:15] somebody wants to change me and of

[13:18] course I'm not comfortable.

[13:20] It's understandable. I think it's

[13:22] understandable for

[13:24] a lot of different people leaders.

[13:26] >> Mhm.

[13:28] >> And the leader of Ukraine, the

[13:30] president, is also the choice of these

[13:34] people.

[13:35] And how to make elections, you know this

[13:37] problem. You live here. It's

[13:41] out of our law constitution, but it is

[13:43] not the first. This is very important,

[13:46] but during the war the securities is the

[13:49] priority number one. How to make

[13:52] elections? That's why we said, "Look,

[13:54] give us ceasefire."

[13:56] Our first discussions with American

[13:58] team, by the way, with American

[14:00] negotiators

[14:01] a year ago, because the topic how to to

[14:04] to change me, I think it's not the new

[14:06] topic. Putin began it.

[14:09] And then

[14:12] President Trump also

[14:14] yes raised this topic. It's not

[14:16] something new for me. And and that's why

[14:18] I spoke with parliamentarians

[14:21] and we looked at this. We We the

[14:23] parliamentarians told me, "No, only

[14:25] after the war we can do this and after

[14:28] the war minimum we will need 6 months."

[14:30] >> So nearly 5 years into this war,

[14:34] what does victory mean to you?

[14:37] >> You know, first of all

[14:39] no chance

[14:42] to repeat the war. This is the first. Of

[14:45] course ceasefire you begin from this and

[14:47] etc., but this is very important. No

[14:50] chance. No chance to anybody in the

[14:53] world. First of all, of course we speak

[14:55] about Russia.

[14:56] >> Russia.

[14:56] >> So no chance. That's why we speak about

[14:59] the geopolitical decision. We go to

[15:02] Europe. We are part of Europe. It's our

[15:05] direction. It's EU membership. For today

[15:10] it's EU membership. It's our choice

[15:13] of these people.

[15:14] All these generations who live now

[15:18] here in their country.

[15:21] And this is the first. So, and it's been

[15:25] security guarantees EU, by the way, one

[15:27] of the kind of security guarantees which

[15:30] we really need.

[15:31] So,

[15:32] geopolitical choice, then security

[15:35] guarantees. It's not only EU, as I said,

[15:37] it's between us NATO. Other leaders and

[15:41] generations will choose, but for the

[15:42] beginning to be safe

[15:44] to hold this army, this number of army,

[15:47] NATO is the best way.

[15:48] >> Yeah.

[15:49] >> The security guarantees from the United

[15:51] States direct good way. It's It's good

[15:55] way, but we need more details. What does

[15:57] it mean?

[15:57] >> Well, and that's what you what what

[15:59] you're describing now.

[16:00] >> If Putin will attack us, Trump will

[16:02] attack Putin. This is the answer. If I

[16:04] have in the paper just just this, if

[16:07] Putin will attack Ukraine, Trump will

[16:10] attack Putin.

[16:12] Point.

[16:12] >> security guarantee.

[16:13] >> That's all. We count on the United

[16:15] States.

[16:16] We hope that we will have strong

[16:18] partnership and

[16:20] a legal binding

[16:22] voted in Congress security guarantees.

[16:26] If we are in NATO or between us,

[16:29] even if we are not in NATO,

[16:31] or sorry, if we are not in NATO and even

[16:34] if we are in NATO, I think our strong

[16:38] bilateral security decisions have to be.

[16:43] It's important for both sides, I'm sure.