Zelensky wants to "work directly" with Trump to end Ukraine's war with Russia

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he wants to work “directly” with US President-elect Donald Trump and is open to his ideas, highlighting Kyiv’s eagerness to keep its most important ally on side as Russia steps up its attacks.

“Of course we will work with Trump. I want to work with him directly,” Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News published on Friday, adding that he did not want people around Trump to “destroy” his communication. “I want to share ideas with him and I want to hear his ideas from him.”

The United States is the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine and Kyiv is well aware that it needs to get on Trump’s good side to secure future support. According to the US State Department, the government has contributed $64.1 billion to Ukraine’s war effort since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelensky described his talks with Trump during a visit to New York in September as “warm, good and constructive.” He said the discussions were an “important first step” but that more detailed talks would be necessary “until we have a real plan where Ukraine is strong.”

Zelensky said his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, would travel to the United States as soon as possible for meetings, including with Trump’s pick for special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.

Kellogg is a supporter of a ceasefire and peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, which would include security guarantees for Ukraine as a safeguard against future Russian invasions.

However, Zelensky told Sky News that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to negotiate. “He doesn’t want to stop the war,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader added that he would like Trump to succeed and for the US to “play one of the most crucial roles” in ending the war.

Before winning the election, Trump repeatedly claimed that the war between Russia and Ukraine would not have started if he had been president. He also promised to end the war, at times even claiming that he would stop the years-long conflict before taking office. In July, he said he could resolve the conflict in a day, without offering further details.

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Zelensky’s comments come as the scale and severity of the conflict escalates, as Moscow makes increasing use of non-nuclear ballistic missiles. More than a million Ukrainian homes were left without electricity on Thursday following a widespread attack on critical energy infrastructure.

On Friday, Putin threatened to attack Ukraine again. He also praised Trump, describing him as a “smart and experienced” politician capable of finding “solutions.”

In the interview with Sky News, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s American and European allies need to better equip more of their soldiers and provide more fighter jets. The country’s eastern front, where Moscow is rapidly advancing, “depends on the number of equipped brigades” and air defense, he added.

He also referred to widely reported calls by American officials to lower the minimum age of conscription in Ukraine from 25 to 18, in order to address severe personnel shortages. "I want to ask our partners to do their part of the work and we will do ours," he said.

Asked by Sky News whether Ukraine would consider giving up part of its territory to Russia in exchange for NATO membership, Zelensky said that such a solution could theoretically help end the war, but would go against the Ukrainian constitution.

“The invitation (to join NATO) must be made to Ukraine within its internationally recognised border. You cannot give an invitation to only part of the country… It has no right to recognise the occupied territory as the territory of Russia,” he said.

Zelensky has long called for Ukraine’s unconditional accession to NATO, but it is highly unlikely that the country will be admitted to the military alliance before the war is over. During the interview, Zelensky reiterated his stance that NATO membership was currently the only path to victory.

He admitted that he feared Ukraine would lose the war and, in particular, the independence of its people. “If we stand alone, we will lose,” he said.

Maria Hoffman contributed to this report.