Zelensky tells Trump 'Putin fears only him and, perhaps, China'

President Volodymyr Zelensky told Donald Trump that Russian leader Vladimir Putin "fears" the U.S. president-elect, Zelensky revealed on Dec. 9.

"I told President Trump that Putin fears only him and, perhaps, China," Zelensky said on X.

Ukraine's head of state held a trilateral meeting with Trump and French Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Dec. 7, discussing Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion.

"And that’s the truth — only decisiveness can bring this war to a just end and ensure lasting peace."

Trump's imminent return to the White House in January raises concerns about the U.S. withdrawing its support under the new administration and pressuring Ukraine toward painful concessions.

To prevent such a development, Kyiv seeks to engage Trump and convince him to adopt a "peace through strength" approach, forcing the Kremlin to accept "a just and lasting" peace.

"We know that America has the capacity to accomplish remarkable things—things that others have not been able to achieve," Zelensky said.

"To succeed in ending this war, we need unity — the unity of America, Europe, and everyone in the world who values security — as well as strong positions and guarantees for peace."

Following his meeting with Zelensky, Trump said the Ukrainian leader is ready "to make a deal and stop the madness."

"Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse," Trump wrote on Social Truth on Dec. 8. Separately, he said Ukraine could expect reduced assistance from the U.S. under his leadership.

Zelensky addressed Trump's post on his Telegram channel on Dec. 8, saying the war "cannot be ended simply with a piece of paper and a few signatures," warning that "a ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment, as Putin has already done in the past."

Ukraine won’t trade young soldiers’ lives for better weapons, Zelensky says

“The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia’s military potential, not Ukraine’s draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storage.”

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert