Zelensky 'maybe not such a big humanitarian as Putin,' he quips as Ukraine's relations with Trump unravel

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his perception of President Donald Trump's changing stance towards Ukraine in an interview on Oct. 23 with ABC News. While keeping the tone neutral, Zelensky did express dissatisfaction with the administration's actions, stating he felt less humanitarian than Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This comment came in reference to a recent statement by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who praised Putin as a humanitarian following the Russian release of an American prisoner on Oct. 21. Just hours later, Russia launched ballistic missiles and cluster munitions at Kyiv's city center, resulting in casualties, including children.

Instead of dwelling on Witkoff's praise for Putin, Zelensky emphasized Ukraine's critical needs: the restoration of Starlink service and the timely delivery of air defense missiles. The president confirmed the Starlink service was not functioning at full capacity on the Ukrainian battlefield, despite claims by Trump to the contrary. Furthermore, Ukraine had only received 24 air defense missiles from its strategic allies in the past 90 days, according to Zelensky.

Zelensky expressed frustration over the lack of communication and solutions regarding these issues from the U.S., despite the Ukrainian government's repeated requests. The situation worsened as the U.S. administration seemed to align more closely with Russia, with deals involving Russian diesel fuel, sanctions waivers, and pressure put on Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Zelensky announced that trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. would resume in November, with technical teams from each nation meeting in Abu Dhabi. He reiterated Ukraine's willingness to end the conflict by freezing the current battle lines if a resolution could be found.