President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave his first interview in the new year of 2025, summarizing Ukraine’s key achievements in 2024 and talking about his relationship with US President-elect Donald Trump. First Lady Olena Zelenska also took part in the conversation.
Ukraine’s achievements in 2024
The President emphasized that the most important achievement of the year was the preservation of Ukraine’s statehood and independence. According to him, in 2024, Russian troops planned to capture Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
“The fall and winter of 2024 was the disruption of three operations of the Russian Federation to occupy Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia. I believe that the warriors are the ones who did well here,” Zelenskyy said.
Among the important achievements, the president also noted the signing of 27 security agreements that brought Ukraine $40 billion in aid. In addition, Zelenskyy emphasized the decision of NATO countries to provide Ukraine with additional Patriot systems.
The situation at the front
The President acknowledged that the situation in eastern Ukraine remains difficult due to Russia’s superiority in the area, but he promised to take all measures to stabilize the situation in January.
“They are putting pressure on the guys who are tired, and this is a fact. We will do our best to stabilize the situation at least in January. It is very difficult. If everything that was promised comes to pass, there are schedules, something is on the way, if the new American administration is supportive, and not vice versa. This puzzle depends on many details,” Zelenskyy said.
He noted that the situation could be stabilized by the forces of the contingent that is currently training and the battalions that are currently arming themselves abroad.
Trump can play a decisive role
Zelenskyy expressed confidence that Trump could help stop Russian aggression. He emphasized that he had not had any negative moments in communication with Trump during 2024.
“I would really like to see President Trump’s unpredictability apply primarily to the Russian Federation. I believe that he really wants to end the war,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
The president also said he was confident that Trump would help Ukraine.
The Kursk operation is a strong trump card
According to the president, the Kursk operation has proved to be a strong bargaining chip in negotiations with the countries of the Global South.
“I never thought that it would have such an impact on them (the countries of the Global South). And it has had a great impact on them,” the president said.
He clarified that for the countries of the Global South, Russia was “invincible,” but now Ukrainian defenders have been controlling part of Russian territory for more than four months and Russians cannot do anything about it.
A just peace is a strong Ukraine
Zelenskyy noted that among Ukraine’s allies there are those who are “confused” about their position, and one of the main tasks for 2025 is to unite them around our country.
“If the United States remains a strong ally of Ukraine, it will greatly facilitate the process of uniting our partners. The Europeans are very focused on the position of the new US president. I am convinced that Putin is afraid of Trump, and that is why he is trying to influence some votes to go to the US administration,” he said.
Zelensky emphasized that a just peace for Ukraine means reliable security guarantees: “In short, a just peace for us is the understanding that we are in the EU and when there is an understanding that we have strong security guarantees, NATO is the best option.”
Ukraine supports the deployment of peacekeepers
Ukraine supports the idea of deploying European peacekeepers on its territory, but this should not be a substitute for joining NATO. Zelenskyy noted that not only people are important, but also technical means to ensure security.
“This idea was voiced at our meeting with Macron and Trump in France. I saw that Trump was positive about this idea, but I raised the question that among these forces, we have not yet heard which specific countries and whether the United States will be there. Such a presence is not about the number of people, because it is not just people that are needed. This is definitely a priority, but not only they, but also technology, ships, and aircraft…” Zelensky said.
Second presidential term
Zelensky has not yet decided whether he will run for president again.
“I don’t know how and when the war will end. If I do more than I can, then I will probably look at it (running for office) more positively. This is the only way I can answer. For me, it’s not in focus today, it’s not a goal for me today,” he said.
The first lady was asked how she felt about the possibility that her husband might run for a second presidential term.
“It seems to me that I, as a wife, should support any decision. Whether it will be popular in our family or not is another question. It seems to me that the second time is not as scary as the first,” Zelenska said.
But at the same time, she admitted that she would not want to live “in such an emotional and physical state” for the rest of her life. However, the beginning of the war remains the most frightening period for her.