US ignores Iran-Russia cooperation because it 'trusts Putin,' Zelensky says
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Washington is ignoring evidence of Russia helping Iran in the war with the U.S. because it "trusts" Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on The Rest is Politics podcast interview, as reported on April 9.
"I said this publicly. Did we hear a reaction from the U.S. to Russia that they have to stop it?" Zelensky asked. "The problem is they trust Putin."
Ukraine has repeatedly said Moscow is providing Tehran with intelligence, including to aid strikes against Israeli energy facilities amid hostilities in the Middle East, which de-escalated after a ceasefire brokered earlier this week.
U.S. media previously reported that Russia is helping Iran attack U.S. military assets in the region, though American officials have publicly downplayed the significance of such cooperation.
The Ukrainian leader said the U.S. is failing to understand Moscow's objectives. The reason is that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner spend "too much time" with Putin and Russian officials, he noted.
Witkoff and Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's aides leading his push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, visited Moscow repeatedly last year. Ukraine said it is also scheduled to host the pair later in April — their first visit yet.
Zelensky further commented that Washington misunderstands what Donbas — a region in eastern Ukraine that has become a key sticking point in the negotiations — means for Kyiv.
Russia has pressed Ukraine to fully withdraw from the region, effectively forcing it to give up on a strategically important fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine has rejected the demand.
The question of territory has sparked controversy with the U.S. after Zelensky said in March that the Trump administration tied its security guarantees to Ukraine's full withdrawal from Donbas.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Zelensky's statement "a lie", but reiterated that the U.S. cannot offer security guarantees until the war ends.
In a separate interview for Italian news outlet Rai News, Zelensky said he has a "very good relationship" with Trump because he is one of the few people who can tell him what he thinks.
"There are not many people who can tell the president of the United States that he's not always right," the Ukrainian president said.
Commenting on peace talks, Zelensky reiterated that he is ready to meet Putin — though "certainly not in Moscow or Kyiv."
The president suggested that such a meeting could take place at another venue in the Middle East, Europe, or the U.S.
The Kremlin's chief has long avoided in-person talks with Zelensky and insisted that Moscow is the only possible venue — which Kyiv flatly dismissed.
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