Zelensky Open to Considering Trump's Suggestions for Ukraine Conflict Resolution

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his openness to hearing former US President Donald Trump's suggestions on how to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. He made this statement during an interview at the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece.

Zelensky, who is facing challenges in his role as the Ukrainian leader, was cautious in addressing the topic. This comes in light of reports claiming that Trump, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, mentioned that he would push for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia if he wins reelection. This agreement could potentially involve Ukraine giving up some of its territory in the process.

Zelensky told CNN’s Senior Correspondent Fred Pleitgen via video link from Ukraine that the signals were on certain media platforms. He clarified that he had not directly heard those signals from Trump. Zelensky mentioned that he did not have the chance to discuss Trump's ideas in detail on how to end the war.

He expressed his willingness to listen to Trump's ideas if given the opportunity, stating that he would be happy to have a discussion on the topic.

Zelensky had invited Trump to visit Ukraine and see things for himself before his speech in Delphi. Trump had shown interest in accepting the invitation. However, the Trump campaign disagreed with Zelensky's statements, calling them inaccurate.

"There has been no communication from Zelensky to President Trump. A Trump campaign official informed CNN that President Trump believes it is not suitable for him to visit Ukraine at this time as he is no longer the Commander in Chief."

Ukrainian President Zelensky is pictured speaking from Ukraine during an interview with CNN’s Fred Pleitgen, who is at the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece.

Ukrainian President Zelensky is pictured speaking from Ukraine during an interview with CNN’s Fred Pleitgen, who is at the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece.

Delphi Economic Forum

During the economic forum, the Ukrainian leader encouraged allies to maintain a realistic perspective instead of being pessimistic. He addressed concerns about the lengthy wait times for Western weaponry production and mobilization in Ukraine, especially as their forces are currently facing setbacks. Zelensky also mentioned that the situation in the eastern regions of Ukraine has now stabilized.

Our GDP is increasing thanks to the success of the maritime corridor. I have a different perspective from yours,” he said. “Although we are facing a serious enemy during this time of war, it's important to stay realistic and not be pessimistic.

He also mentioned, “As soon as we receive support and concrete actions from Putin's allies, we will be able to weaken Putin's power.”

During his speech at the forum, Zelensky highlighted how Russia has started using aerial bombs again as one of Putin's main strategies to change the course of the war.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during a questions and answers session with International media representatives in the Latvian National History Museum on January 11, 2024 in Riga, Latvia.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was seen at a Q&A session with international media representatives at the Latvian National History Museum in Riga, Latvia on January 11, 2024. He appeared engaged and ready to answer questions during the event. The image was captured by Gints Ivuskans/AFP/Getty Images.

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Zelensky explained that Russia has started bombing Kharkiv with special guided bombs that can destroy everything within hundreds of meters. He referred to this as Putin's final effective move in the war. According to Zelensky, Putin is relying on terror and believes that he can change the situation in his favor by using these destructive bombs on buildings.

"He believes that the bombs in question will cause significant damage and disrupt Ukraine's energy supply, potentially leading to a blackout."

Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is meeting the requirements set by Western nations regarding the provision of weapons to Kyiv.

Zelensky mentioned that when it comes to restrictions from Western countries, such as not using long-distance weapons on targets in Russia, none of the weapons used on Russian territory were provided by the West. He added that the condition for using Western weapons was the inability to attack Russian targets on Russian territory.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects new fortifications for Ukrainian servicemen near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region on Tuesday.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects new fortifications for Ukrainian servicemen near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region on Tuesday.

I want to emphasize that Western weapons were not used in the attack. We also did not respond with such weapons on Russian territory.

After Russia's aggression, Ukraine relies solely on domestically produced resources for military and energy purposes. These resources are strictly used against military or energy-related targets, not against civilians.

Russia carried out missile strikes in Ukraine's southern Odesa region on Wednesday, targeting transport and logistics infrastructure, as reported by Ukraine's Defense Forces of the South on Telegram. The defense forces stated, "The enemy is persistently causing terror in the Odesa region."

Service members of the 37th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces use a machine gun atop of a French AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicle during military drills in an undisclosed location in Southern Ukraine on April 3.

Service members from the 37th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were seen using a machine gun mounted on a French AMX-10 RC armored fighting vehicle. The military drills took place in Southern Ukraine on April 3rd. The location was not disclosed. The photo was taken by Ivan Antypenko from Reuters.

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Currently, there is no information available regarding casualties, as the extent of the damage is still being determined.

According to a Telegram post by the Ukrainian state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, two railway workers were injured and taken to the hospital as a result of attacks in Odesa on Wednesday morning.

The recent assaults on Odesa come after a series of drone attacks in southern Ukraine overnight, where 12 drones were taken down in the Mykolayiv region. According to defense forces on Telegram, Russian forces aimed at an energy facility, resulting in a fire that has since been brought under control.

The assault on the infrastructure in southern Ukraine led to power outages in the Kherson region, as stated by Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson region military administration, in a post on Telegram. Ukraine's state energy company Ukrenergo reported that efforts are being made to restore power to both the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

CNN’s Olga Voitovych, Svitlana Vlasova, Caitlin Danaher, Mariya Knight, Fred Pleitgen and Kate Sullivan contributed reporting.

Editor's P/S:

The article highlights Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's openness to considering former US President Donald Trump's suggestions for ending the war in Ukraine. Zelensky has emphasized his willingness to listen to Trump's ideas, despite the former president's controversial stance on the issue. The article also discusses Zelensky's invitation to Trump to visit Ukraine and Trump's decision to decline.

Additionally, the article provides updates on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, including Russia's use of aerial bombs and missile strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure. Zelensky expressed confidence in Ukraine's ability to defend itself and called for continued support from Western allies. The article also covers the impact of the war on Ukraine's economy and the efforts to restore power to affected regions. Overall, the article offers insights into the complex and challenging situation in Ukraine, as well as the diplomatic efforts and military developments shaping the conflict.