Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his need to speak to Donald Trump directly without “different voices from people around him” that could risk destroying their communication.
In a wide-ranging interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian president said he did not want to allow “anybody [around] to destroy our communication.”
Mr Zelensky also suggested he would temporarily cede Ukrainian territory to Russia in exchange for joining Nato.
Nato membership would have to be offered to unoccupied parts of the country to end the “hot phase” of the war, the Ukrainian leader added.