Monday, during an interview with FNC host Bret Baier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia would “have to” help finance his country’s rebuilding effort after the war.
Zelensky made the declaration when asked about his reaction to President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting Russia wanted Ukraine to “succeed.”
Partial transcript as follows:
BAIER: But you listen to him, and you heard him talk about his call with Vladimir Putin, and he speaks positively about it. In fact, there was one point in the press conference where he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Russia is going to be helping. Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: There was a pan over to your reaction, and you kind of had your eyebrows went up, and you smiled a little bit. You don’t agree with that?
ZELENSKY: It’s not about degree. I don’t trust Russians, and they don’t want – I mean this — I’m not — I don’t — I don’t trust Putin. And he doesn’t want success for Ukraine. Really, he doesn’t want.
He can say it. I believe that he can say such words to President Trump. I believe in it, that he can say, but it’s not — it’s not true, really, he doesn’t want to have from President Trump more pressure with sanctions and etcetera. He can say that I want successful Ukraine, and I’m ready to give them cheap electricity.
Really, between us, we don’t need cheap. I mean, this energy for — because we paid so great. I mean, this price our lives. It’s not about energy. We don’t need anything from them.
That’s why I think it’s messages for President Trump, yes, to find a way how to communicate with him.
BAIER: Yes, the question was about helping with reconstruction after the war, and that Russia wants to help.
ZELENSKY: And they have to give us money. They can give us money, money for this, and we will rebuild everything, what we need to rebuild. And we will decide what to do.
Follow Jeff Poor on X @jeff_poor
Read the full article here