Zelenskyy: Putin is ‘playing games’ with Trump

Volodymyr Zelensky, in a candid interview with The Guardian, asserts that Russia is losing momentum in the war, not due to battlefield victories, but because of a daily erosion of initiative and growing isolation. He warns that Vladimir Putin is lying about progress, playing 'games' with Western leaders like Donald Trump, and that the war's outcome hinges on whether Russia’s elite recognize the economic and societal collapse looming under Putin’s rule. Zelensky emphasizes that Ukraine is not just fighting for survival but for a new European order, where NATO’s future may lie in integrating Ukraine rather than the other way around. He expresses cautious optimism but deep concern over shifting Western focus to the Middle East, especially from the U.S., and urges Europe—particularly the UK—to strengthen sanctions, deliver anti-ballistic missile systems, and raise soldiers’ pay. He also subtly signals disapproval of UK political shifts, like the removal of Ukraine flags by Reform Party councils, warning that small actions can fracture vital alliances. Most strikingly, he reveals a personal desire for King Charles to visit Kyiv—a symbolic gesture of enduring solidarity in a moment of geopolitical uncertainty.