Zelensky pleads to Trump: ‘Stay on our side’

CNN ^ | February 23, 2026 | Clarissa Ward, Ivana Kottasová

[MinorityRepublican]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a plea to Donald Trump on Monday, telling CNN he wants the US president “to stay on our side.”

Speaking at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky said the United States is far too big and too important to walk away from the conflict. And he hopes that Trump, during his State of the Union address Tuesday, will back Ukraine as it fights back against the Russia of President Vladimir Putin.

“They have to stay with … a democratic country which is fighting against one person. Because this person is a war. Putin is a war. It’s all about himself. It’s all about one person. And the country, all his country is in the prison,” Zelensky told CNN.

“If they really want to stop Putin, America’s so strong,” he said. Asked if he believes Trump is putting enough pressure on Putin, Zelensky said, “No.”

In a wide-ranging and — at times — emotional interview, Zelensky acknowledged that Ukrainians are exhausted by the conflict. But giving in to Putin’s demands is simply not an option, he said.

“We can’t just give him everything he wants. Because he wants to occupy us. If we will give him all he wants, we will lose everything — all of us, people will have to run away or be Russian.”

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TOPICS: Ukraine
KEYWORDS: 4threich; beggarofkiev; bidencrimefamily; fourthreich; globohomo; greengrifter; littledictator; proxywar; tothelastukrainian; trumpsnotbiden; ukraine; welfarewar; zestinky

[BipolarBob]

Not Zelenskys side, not Putins side,join God’s side.

[Allegra]

…Zelensky said the United States is far too big and too important to walk away from the conflict.

Not your call, Zelbo.

[stars & stripes forever]

TRANSLATION: Keep the $$$ coming. My wife needs a spring wardrobe.

[Bikkuri]

Zidget at it again.

[dforest]

Sick and tired of other countries involving us in their wars. It needs to stop right now.

[whitney69]

And this is where Zelensky is a failure. He just can’t reason that anyone isn’t on his side because he wants to continue getting people killed, especially Trump who has done extensive work to stop conflicts. The only two that are dividing up people are Putin and Zelensky. And outside of a coup, they’re the only ones that can stop it. And I’m told humans are on top of the food chain because of our intelligence.

wy69

[ANKE69]

[nathanbedford]

… give the Ukrainian people the confidence that they could rely on their allies in the future — because they have been let down too many times in the past (emphasis supplied)

There is every reason to believe that they will be let down again on Tuesday night. This administration's treatment of our ally (yes, ally!) is both shameful and foolish.

[ConservativeMind]

Screw you, Little z.

[nathanbedford]

And this is where Winston Churchill is a failure, you just can't reason that anyone isn’t on his side with him because he wants to continue getting people killed, especially Benito Mussolini who has done extensive work to stop conflicts. The only two that are dividing up people are Hitler and Churchill.

It doesn't fit in history and it doesn't fit today.

[ConservativeMind]

Between the UK and EU, there are 525+ million people to fight for their neighbor, as they see fit.

The US should do nothing more.

To the EU, it is far more important to fight Global Warming and being in Muslims to rape 12 year olds, than it is to care about Ukraine.

[nathanbedford]

Gemini said
Several high-profile claims regarding Olena Zelenska’s shopping habits have circulated on social media, but investigations by international news organizations and fact-checkers have found these specific allegations to be fabricated.

The evidence indicates that these stories were part of coordinated disinformation campaigns rather than documented events. Here is the breakdown of the most prominent claims:

1. The $1.1 Million Cartier Jewelry Claim (Sept 2023)
The Claim: A video from a self-described “former employee” of a Cartier boutique in New York alleged that Zelenska spent over $1.1 million on jewelry and had the employee fired. A “receipt” was shared as proof.

The Evidence: * Timeline Mismatch: The receipt was dated September 22, 2023. Official records and press pool reports show that on that date, Olena Zelenska was in Ottawa, Canada, not New York.
+1

Fabricated Receipt: Fact-checkers noted that the item numbers on the “receipt” did not match Cartier’s actual product numbering system.

Source: The Instagram account that posted the video was created just days before the story broke and had no other activity.

2. The €4.5 Million Bugatti Tourbillon (July 2024)
The Claim: Reports alleged Zelenska became the first owner of a new Bugatti supercar during a visit to Paris, using Western aid money.

The Evidence: * AI Deepfake: The video featured a man claiming to be a dealership employee, but analysis by CBS News and other experts determined it was an AI-generated deepfake (noting a lack of natural movement and blinking).

Official Denial: The Bugatti Paris dealership issued a formal statement denying the transaction and filed a criminal complaint for forgery regarding the fake invoice used in the posts.

3. The €40,000 Paris Shopping Spree (Dec 2022)
The Claim: Posts alleged Zelenska spent €40,000 in an hour at luxury stores in Paris while visiting to seek aid for Ukraine.

The Evidence: * Photoshopped Images: This claim was often accompanied by a photo of Zelenska on a private jet surrounded by luxury bags. A reverse image search revealed the original photo was of a cryptocurrency founder (Richard Heart) from April 2022; Zelenska’s head had been digitally added.

Unverified Source: The claim originated from an unverified social media account and was not supported by any store records or eyewitnesses.

[jmacusa]

Hasn’t this grifting little weasel worn out his welcome yet?

And his greasy fingers in our treasury?

[nathanbedford]

To the EU, it is far more important to fight Global Warming and being in Muslims to rape 12 year olds, than it is to care about Ukraine.

That assertion is absurd on its face in view of the relative support for Ukraine rendered by Europe as compared to the betrayal's by this administration.

How important is Minneapolis and New York City?

[Lurker]

Ukraine was never an ally. They’re a hyper corrupt oligarchy that differs from Russia only in scale.

A pox on both of them.

L

[nathanbedford]

Ukraine was never an ally.

Rubbish! Ukraine was, in every well understood sense and by every single continuing congressional resolution and every explicit presidential promise, an ally whom we betrayed.

[DoughtyOne]

I was angry with Putin invaded. I’m still angry about it
today. The problem for me is, to put Russia down here is
to take on a battle that could expand or leave such a bad
taste in Russia’s mouth, that it could cause us a tragic
cost down the road.

The Ukraine will not cost us down the road. It’s people
will wind up in the Ukraine or back under Russian control.
I hate that prospect, but it is what it is.

I think that Trump pragmatically wants to see the dying
end. I don’t think he’s in Putin’s pocket. I just don’t
think he sees a descent ending for this war that doesn’t
cost way more lives, and doesn’t involve some sort of
land turnover in the end.

Of course the dems pass it off as Trump kissing Puting’s
feet. I’m not inclined to accept another few hundred
thousand dead Ukrainians. End this POS war.

[Allegra]

There is every reason to believe that they will be let down again on Tuesday night. This administration's treatment of our ally (yes, ally!) is both shameful and foolish.

Awwww…do you miss the days of the senile old coot forking over billions of our tax dollars, unaudited, to that greasy little grifter every time he squawked for it?

Is it “shameful and foolish” of this administration not to want to drag our country into a brutal, costly war between the Slavs?

Well, I voted for this.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This administration's treatment of our ally (yes, ally!) is both shameful and foolish.

How many more hundreds of billions of dollars laundered through Ukraine would you find acceptable?

$500,000,000,000?

$1,000,000,000,000?

We want to make sure you are satisfied.