Trump Praises Zelensky's Performance in the War with Russia

SadaNews - US President Donald Trump praised the performance of his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the ongoing war with Russia, especially as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian sites have intensified recently.

In a press conference on Wednesday at the White House, Trump stated that Zelensky is "doing well" in the war, contrasting with a previous remark where he claimed that the Ukrainian president lacked "leverage and bargaining chips to win."

While commending Zelensky, Trump told reporters, "He is resilient, at least. There are many people dying on both sides, but I think he is doing well."

Last week, Trump, who emphasizes his closeness to Russian President Vladimir Putin, had an extensive dialogue with Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron during the G7 summit held in France.

Macron noted that Trump acknowledged during the G7 summit discussions that Russia does not seek peace in Ukraine, considering this a "real shift" in the US approach to Ukraine.

In statements that raised cautious optimism among G7 leaders regarding the possibility of reaching a peace agreement, Trump himself urged Russia to pursue peace with Ukraine after a meeting he described as "very good" with his Ukrainian counterpart.

Lavrov's Confusion

In contrast, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday during an event in Moscow that Russia is looking to understand whether the US president has changed his stance on the Ukraine war.

He added, "The Americans have not informed us yet of what conclusions they reached at the Evian summit or what their future steps are."

Lavrov reiterated that Moscow wants to continue talking with the United States and is eager to hear what Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will say during their upcoming visit to Moscow.

However, he expressed his objection to the continued US sanctions on Russia and the absence of limits imposed by the United States on the arms it sells to European countries in support of Ukraine.

On the ground, debris from a drone attack caused a fire in an oil depot in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia, authorities reported on Thursday.

Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russia in recent months in response to Moscow's near-daily airstrikes using drones and missiles throughout the war, which has entered its fifth year.

Source: Al Jazeera