Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that he wished President Trump would realize “Russia is the aggressor” in Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II and use US “strength” against Moscow.
“We consider [the] United States as a strong strategic partner with an influence, and we would really like to have peace through strength,” Zelensky told Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro, “that would be useful with Russia so that the force would be toward Russia because they’re the aggressor.”
“I highly respect the fact that he’s searching for [peace]. That’s his approach,” he added, referring to Trump. “But you shouldn’t be saying that Ukraine … started this war. I believe that it’s painful for our people to hear. This is why we responded this way.”
The first of Shapiro’s two-part interview with the Ukrainian president was released Thursday, as the Trump administration stepped up pressure on Kyiv to sign on to a peace proposal that included recognizing the Crimean peninsula as Russian territory — a non-starter for Zelensky.
Shapiro has been one of a handful of prominent conservative voices advocating for the US to continue backing Ukraine in its war to fend off Russian invaders.
The “Ben Shapiro Show” host opened by asking Zelensky about his Feb. 28 Oval Office shouting match with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
“It did not help Ukraine. It did not help the United States,” Zelensky reflected. “I think that we will have more fruitful meetings with President Trump. But you have to understand that Ukraine … [is] defending against Russia’s offense, and we believe Russia is an enemy.”
“We believe the United States is a truly real friend.”
Just before the interview came out, Trump made a rare criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin for overnight missile and drone strikes against Kyiv that killed at least 12 people, including two children from the same family, and wounded more than 90.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” Trump raged in a Truth Social post. “Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Before the post, Trump had been heralding Russia without evidence as the party that was “ready” for peace, despite providing no evidence. He has also consistently issued punishments and asked concessions of Ukraine — without following through on any of his threats to further sanction Moscow or provide Kyiv more aid.
“Where is the ‘strength’ in ‘peace through strength’?” one former official from Trump’s first administration told The Post. “He’s strong on Ukraine, but nothing for Russia?”
“The Russia ‘collusion’ was a hoax in Trump I,” another added. “But Trump 2.0, I’m not so sure.”
One of the frequent gripes against Ukraine among conservatives has been the billions in military aid sent to the war-torn country since February 2022.
Zelensky estimated that Ukraine has received about $105 billion worth of weapons and other security assistance from the US.
The Ukrainian leader underscored that aid has been subject to inspections from the US to ensure it has been properly allocated and claimed that Ukraine has been carrying out its own audits as well.
“I have my own internal audit, and my country is clearly documenting how [much] assistance was provided,” Zelensky explained.
“We were seeing in the very beginning of the war that Russia attempted to undermine the support and assistance coming from the United States, and they wanted to undermine this through fake news, through other tools,” he recounted. “That is why we told it once that we are open, send inspectors.”
Zelensky also stressed that there is no evidence that any US weapons packages sent to Ukraine wound up “somewhere abroad,” as some skeptics have suggested.
He also argued that aid has been beneficial to US military readiness and that Ukraine has been sharing everything it’s learning about warfighting and weapons development with America.
“The United States [has] received complete and open information on the drones. This is the new weapons that was not available to the United States” before the war,” Zelensky explained. “Now the United States [has] received all this experience, all this development.”
During the war, the Pentagon has ramped up production of critical munitions, which quickly ran low during early efforts to aid Ukraine, and defense experts have learned lessons about fighting on a “hypertransparent” modern battlefield.
Beyond those advancements, Zelensky argued that Ukraine has become something of a “living shield” for NATO against Russia, ensuring that the US or Western Europe doesn’t have to send combat forces against Moscow.
“The Russians will always want and desire the destruction of the United States,” he warned. “We were born in the Soviet Union. We had it all growing up in schools. This is the policy of the Soviet Union. We are fighting for your rights just as our own.”
Part 2 of the Shapiro’s interview with Zelensky will be released Friday.
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