Posted on 02/13/2025 10:48:53 AM PST by marcusmaximus
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.
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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.
(Excerpt) Read more at axios.com ...
A wimpy attempt to troll and disrupt.
What a time to be alive!
Zelensky speaking the truth accidentally. Typical lib.
Got to love his flailing desperation. We need a clock like the Nuke War Clock to tell how close Z is to “leaving the play”.
And the problem is?
“Z” is implying that Putin is afraid of Trump...and that he’s not??
Trump is going to cut a deal that is best for this country. Ukraine is irrelevant to the process.
1939: Stalin and Hitler divide up Poland and not long after, war begins in Europe. 2025, Putin and Trump divide up Ukraine and we will see how long the Russians keep their end of the deal. There is nothing new under the sun, Ukraine understands that well.
Zelensky should be afraid of Trump too.
“Trump ended the call by giving Zelensky his personal number and said he can call him directly,” @BarakRavid reports.
“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 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.”
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.”
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.
Witkoff back in Moscow. Just arrived.
Never forget, Zelensky’s an actor.
.
Last minute invite for the Russians to attend the Munich Security conference tomorrow…
UGH, somebody thinks he is in the big boy club.
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.
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Behind the scenes: Five sources said the call between Trump and Zelensky lasted 10 mins and Trump Putin lasted 90 mins.
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