Zelensky Warns Putin Wants to 'Manipulate' Trump on Ukraine

Ukrainian person Volodymyr Zelensky connected Friday warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin wanted to "manipulate" Donald Trump, aft the Kremlin main praised the U.S. person and said helium was acceptable for talks with him.

Kyiv earlier warned against immoderate Putin-Trump bid talks connected the adjacent three-year warfare without its and European participation.

"He wants to manipulate the tendency of the President of the United States of America to execute peace," Zelensky said during a regular evening code connected societal media. "I americium assured that nary Russian manipulations volition win anymore."

He said Putin, who launched the full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, was acceptable to proceed the warfare and "manipulate the leaders of the world."

Putin had earlier praised Trump arsenic a "smart" person who mightiness person prevented the struggle from starting.

The Russian person did not accidental erstwhile talks would instrumentality place, and the Kremlin said Friday it was inactive waiting for "signals" from Washington, contempt Trump announcing Thursday helium was consenting to conscionable Putin "immediately."

"We person ever said, and I privation to emphasise this erstwhile again, that we are acceptable for these negotiations connected Ukrainian issues," Putin told a newsman from Russian authorities TV.

Praising Trump arsenic a "smart" and "pragmatic" man, Putin besides repeated the Republican's unfounded assertion that helium won the US statesmanlike predetermination against Joe Biden successful 2020.

"I cannot but hold with him that if helium had been president — if his triumph hadn't been stolen successful 2020 — then possibly determination would not person been the situation successful Ukraine that emerged successful 2022," Putin said.

Pressure from Trump

The Ukraine struggle has plunged relations betwixt the 2 atomic powers to their lowest levels since the Cold War.

Trump, who was inaugurated connected Monday, has called the struggle "ridiculous" and threatened Russia with tougher economical sanctions if it does not hold to halt its offensive.

"If they don't settee this warfare soon, similar astir immediately, I'm going to enactment monolithic tariffs connected Russia, and monolithic taxes, and besides large sanctions," the Republican said during a Fox News interrogation connected Thursday.

Speaking astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos connected the aforesaid day, Trump said helium would inquire Saudi Arabia and OPEC to little lipid prices, claiming: "If the terms came down, the Russia-Ukraine warfare would extremity immediately."

Putin pushed backmost astatine Trump's assertion that little lipid prices mightiness expedite the extremity of the conflict.

"I person a hard clip imagining determination volition beryllium decisions taken that are detrimental to the American economy," Putin said Friday.

'Come backmost to reality'

Neither broadside has shown signs of de-escalating hostilities since Trump's inauguration, contempt the President claiming helium would extremity the struggle successful "24 hours" erstwhile successful power.

Kyiv connected Friday warned against being excluded from immoderate talks.

"He [Putin] wants to negociate the destiny of Europe — without Europe. And helium wants to speech astir Ukraine without Ukraine," the caput of Ukraine's statesmanlike bureau Andriy Yermak said.

"This is not going to happen. Putin needs to travel backmost to world himself, oregon helium volition beryllium brought back. This is not however it works successful the modern world."

Russian aerial attacks adjacent Kyiv killed 3 radical and wounded respective others, Ukrainian officials said Friday, portion Ukraine fired 120 drones astatine slightest 12 Russian regions, including the superior Moscow.

The Kremlin has launched drone oregon rocket attacks astatine Kyiv astir each time since sending troops into Ukraine successful February 2022, ostensibly targeting subject and vigor facilities.

"Three radical were killed successful an force onslaught successful the Kyiv region," the exigency services said successful a connection connected societal media.

Fragments of a drone had struck a 10-storey residential gathering aft the caput of the portion said a backstage location had besides been hit, it added.

Black fume billowed from a residential gathering damaged successful the onslaught arsenic rescue workers hauled retired the bodies of the victims, authoritative images from the country showed.

In Russia, the Ukrainian subject said it launched an overnight drone onslaught striking an lipid refinery, powerfulness presumption facilities and an electronics plant.

State media reported that a microelectronics mill had halted enactment aft six Ukrainian drones damaged accumulation and retention facilities successful the Bryansk region.

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