During a televised address, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of attempting to manipulate US President Donald Trump to further his own agenda. Zelensky's remarks came in response to comments made by Putin earlier on Friday, where the Russian leader suggested that the crisis in Ukraine could have been avoided if Trump had been in power in 2022.
Putin expressed his willingness to engage in discussions with the new US president regarding the conflict in Ukraine, referring to Trump as a 'smart person.' Zelensky revealed that the issue of Putin's alleged efforts to influence Trump was a topic of discussion during Ukraine's Supreme Commander in Chief Staff meeting. The head of the Foreign Intelligence Service presented a report detailing Russia's military capabilities and Putin's purported readiness to prolong the conflict while attempting to sway global leaders.
Trump has consistently maintained that the conflict in Ukraine would not have occurred under his leadership. However, Putin's recent comments mark the first time the Russian president has echoed a similar sentiment.
