In my interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, I stressed that Putin doesn’t fear Europe. European security guarantees alone will never be enough. Every European leader I’ve spoken to looks to Trump. Without strong U.S. security commitments, everything else is weak. 
President Trump’s recent rhetoric about Putin wasn’t just tough—it was fair. And that’s exactly the kind of Trump that Putin fears. A strong Trump means a strong America, and a strong America means a strong Ukraine with real security guarantees.
Territorial integrity must be respected. But Putin violated it, and neither a frozen conflict nor the Minsk Agreements stopped him. These were weak, even treacherous agreements, lacking U.S. involvement.
Minsk was doomed from the start. It included ceasefire provisions, a prisoner exchange—but Putin never fulfilled his commitments. Some Ukrainians have been in captivity for over 10 years. How can he be trusted.
Ceasefire agreements didn’t work with Putin. Minsk wasn’t a peace deal—it was a temporary pause for him to prepare for full-scale war. He knew there was no U.S. presence—only France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia.
America’s absence was a mistake of the previous administration. The U.S. should have been involved. A strong America could have forced Putin into real peace, not just a frozen conflict.
I am confident that if President Trump wants to, he can force Putin into peace. If the U.S. applies pressure on Putin through the Global South—including China and India—President Trump can negotiate for them to do the same.
I know President Trump isn’t the biggest fan of NATO topic. But NATO remains the cheapest security guarantee for everyone. What’s the alternative? We need strong security guarantees.
We also spoke about past mistakes. Ukraine, under U.S. and Russian pressure, gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for the Budapest Memorandum. And what did we get in return? Nothing. Even President Trump agreed—the Budapest Memorandum is just a piece of paper. Just like the Minsk Agreements. Agreements that Putin ignored.
Before the full-scale invasion, I personally asked President Biden, his administration, and the State Department: “Impose the strongest preventive sanctions against Putin and give us a powerful weapons package.” The response was “We will do everything if they invade.” I told them that was illogical. Do it now—stop the invasion before it starts.
The EU followed Washington’s lead. European countries looked to U.S. policy and its leadership. That’s why, when the full-scale invasion began, Ukraine stood alone. We fought alone.
On territory: Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has liberated 50% of what Russia initially occupied. It was hard, but we did it. We want a diplomatic resolution. Not because we fear the battlefield—we don’t fear the Russian army. It’s not as strong as it pretends to be. But we value lives.
Ending the hot phase of the war is critical. Ukraine is its people. Legally and morally, our land belongs to our people. We will never recognize Russian occupation. Diplomatic solutions are preferable—fewer casualties, fewer losses. But Putin doesn’t want peace. He wants to prolong the war.
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