Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that President Donald Trump's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska gave the Russian leader what he wanted.
“It's a pity that Ukraine wasn't there, because I think President Trump gave Putin what he wanted“, Zelensky said. “He really wanted to meet with President Trump, with the president of the United States. And Putin got it. It's a shame.
The Ukrainian president added: "Putin doesn't want to meet with me, but he really wants to meet with the president of the United States, to show everyone the video and the photos that he's there."
Zelensky spoke to ABC News' chief global affairs correspondent Martha Radacs on Friday in an interview that aired on ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday.
Zelensky's comments came days before Russia launched more than 800 drones and other munitions into Ukraine overnight Saturday, including in the capital Kiev, where the government building was hit. The attacks killed at least eight civilians and wounded 59 others across the country. The Ukrainian air force described the attack as a record.
As the war in Ukraine drags on, Trump has continued to push - so far unsuccessfully - for a meeting between Putin and Zelensky as he seeks to end the long-running conflict. This week, Trump's two-week deadline for peace talks between Putin and Zelensky passed.
Speaking to Radac from a bombed-out American factory in Ukraine, Zelensky said he believes more pressure is needed from American and European allies on Russia to end the war.
“You're talking about more sanctions, more tariffs, more aid from President Trump. And you've told him that you think he has the power to do that. And yet the deadlines keep coming and the next one has come and gone,“ Radac said.
“We all understand that we need more pressure on Putin. We need pressure from the United States.“ And I said that I think President Trump is right about the Europeans – I am very grateful to all partners. But some of them continue to buy oil and Russian gas. And this is not fair... So we must stop buying any kind of energy from Russia“, he said.
“This is only one way to stop the murderer. We must take away his weapon. Energy is his weapon“, Zelensky added.
As for the long-awaited security guarantees that Ukraine has requested from its American and European allies in the event of an end to the war, Zelensky said that “any security guarantees in Ukraine can only be based on our army“.
“I think President Trump wants to end this war. But if we are talking about a just and lasting peace, it is important that it is over and that there is no possibility of repeated aggression in six months, in a year, in two years.“ “It is not only important to stop the war. Yes, it is very important, but also to have lasting peace, to have security“, he said.
When asked by Radac what victory looks like for his warring country, Zelensky replied that it is the survival of Ukraine.
“Putin's goal is to occupy Ukraine“, Zelensky said.
“Putin wants, of course, to occupy us completely. For him, this is a victory. And until he can do it, victory is on our side“, he said. “That is why for us, survival is a victory. Because we survive with our identity, with our country, with our independence.“