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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned that Ukraine has a “low chance” of withstanding Russia’s military assault without continued US support, following phone calls this week between US President Donald Trump, Zelenskiy, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Probably it will be very, very, very difficult,” Zelenskiy said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, an excerpt of which was released on Friday.
“Of course, in all the difficult situations, you have a chance. But we will have low chance—low chance to survive without support of the United States.”
Trump’s separate calls with Putin and Zelenskiy on Wednesday marked his first major diplomatic move toward ending the war in Ukraine—a conflict he has vowed to resolve quickly. Following the conversations, Trump cast doubt on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and the likelihood of reclaiming all its lost territory.
“It’s not practical for Kyiv to join NATO,” Trump said, echoing Moscow’s long-standing opposition to Ukraine’s membership in the alliance. He also suggested that Ukraine regaining all its land was unlikely—a position at odds with Kyiv’s demands that Russia withdraw from all occupied territory, including Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.
Zelenskiy, however, dismissed any notion that Putin was genuinely seeking an end to the war. Instead, he accused the Russian leader of pushing for a ceasefire to lift Western sanctions and allow Russia’s military to rebuild.
“This is really what he wants,” Zelenskiy said. “He wants pause, prepare, train, take off some sanctions, because of ceasefire.”
Trump described his call with Putin as a “good conversation” that lasted over an hour, while the Kremlin reported the discussion lasted nearly 90 minutes. Trump’s call with Zelenskiy also lasted about an hour, with the US president later saying it “went very well.”
The latest diplomatic developments come amid growing uncertainty over the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine. Trump’s administration has been reluctant to commit to further military assistance, and his comments signal a potential shift in Washington’s stance on the war.
For Ukraine, which has relied heavily on Western military aid since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, any weakening of US support could have devastating consequences. European allies remain steadfast in backing Kyiv, but without US involvement, Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defense is in jeopardy.
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