Scoop — Zelensky to Trump: Putin pretends to want peace because he's "afraid of you"
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference on Feb. 4, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky told President Trump during a phone call on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is only pretending to want to negotiate a peace deal because he is "afraid of you," a Ukrainian official and three other sources with knowledge of the call tell Axios.
Why it matters: Trump's phone calls with Putin and Zelensky on Wednesday launched his diplomatic effort to push for a deal to end the war in Ukraine, and raised concerns among some NATO allies that Trump might be backing Zelensky into a corner by pushing for talks while taking some of his likely demands off the table.
- While Trump told Zelensky he got the impression that Putin wants a deal, the Ukrainian president expressed a more skeptical view about the intentions of his Russian counterpart.
- "Zelensky's message to Trump was 'you have leverage over Putin,'" one source briefed on the call said.
- While Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, or sending in U.S. troops to guarantee Ukraine's security, Trump expressed support in the call for a European peacekeeping force, the sources say. He also told Zelensky who would be part of the U.S. negotiating team.
- Zelensky's office declined to comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Behind the scenes: Three sources said the call between Trump and Zelensky was positive and went on for about an hour, longer than the call Trump had with Putin immediately before.
- Trump told Zelensky that he understands his concerns about him talking to Putin, but stressed there is no way around it if he wants his diplomatic efforts to be successful.
- "I need to talk to Putin in order to save Ukraine," Trump told Zelensky, according to the sources.
The intrigue: Trump also told Zelensky Putin wants a deal, and asked if Zelensky is still committed to getting one.
- Zelensky replied that he still wants a deal, but that he thinks Putin is just telling Trump what he wants to hear.
- "Putin told you he wants a deal only because he is afraid of you, because you are strong," Zelensky told Trump, according to the sources.
- Trump told the Ukrainian president that he could be right, but his impression was that Putin is serious. "We will know soon," Trump added, according to two of the sources.
Zoom in: The U.S. president told his Ukrainian counterpart that he understands Ukraine will need security guarantees as part of any future deal, and that he thinks a European peacekeeping force along the front with Russia could be one solution, the sources said.
- Trump told Zelensky that his upcoming meeting with Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich will be very important in order to launch the diplomatic process.
- He told Zelensky that CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House envoy Steve Witkoff are also going to be on the U.S. negotiating team, and asked that Zelensky appoint his own negotiating team.
- Trump ended the call by giving Zelensky his personal number and said he can call him directly, one source said.
- Zelensky told Trump at the end of the call that he would give him a championship belt from Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk.
Between the lines: Trump didn't mention U.S. envoy for Russia-Ukraine Keith Kellogg either in the call with Zelensky or in his public remarks.
- Kellogg also traveled to Munich for talks on the Russia-Ukraine war and is expected to go from there to Kyiv, but Ukrainian officials question whether he is still a relevant player.
- White House press secretary Karoline Levitt said on Wednesday that Kellogg "remains a critical part of this team and this effort."
During the call, Zelensky also told Trump there had been Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities overnight.
- Trump asked whether Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was on a trip to Ukraine, was already in Kyiv when it happened. Zelensky said he arrived after the strikes.
- Trump joked that if Bessent heard air strikes he "would have run away back to the U.S. already."
