Zelensky: Ceasefire is Ukraine's compromise, Trump should press Putin as he presses Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that a ceasefire and a seat at the negotiating table are already a "big compromise" for Ukraine, and that US President Donald Trump should address Russian President Vladimir Putin in the same terms he uses about Zelensky.

The remarks come from an interview with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO podcast. Zelensky's official Telegram channel published two excerpts, labelled parts 2 and 3 of 3, on 22 October. The full interview has not been reviewed here, and the quotes below are as published by his office.

"Ceasefire is the only step"

Asked about Trump's repeated call to "find a compromise", Zelensky said Ukraine lives with that message. "A ceasefire and sitting down at the negotiating table is a big compromise," he said.

He argued that Ukrainians cannot be pressed into forgiveness. "No one can get into the soul of every person whose children were tortured," he said, adding that people cannot be forced to forgive. "I very much want there to be justice," he said, and he added that "time and justice" are needed.

That, he said, is why Kyiv insists a ceasefire is "the only step": the hatred, in his words, "will not go anywhere". He said he has tried many times to tell the US president: "Understand us. It is a big compromise simply to stand where we stand."

Zelensky then turned to Washington's leverage. "Trump can very simply seat Putin at the negotiating table," he said. "The way President Trump speaks about me, he should start such rhetoric about Putin." The excerpts do not say which Trump statements he meant. There was no response from the White House or the Kremlin in the source material.

Zelensky on Bucha

In the preceding excerpt, Zelensky called the killings in Bucha, a town near Kyiv, a genocide that he said is "recognised by everyone". He said Russian forces buried hundreds of people and tortured them, and that Ukrainian authorities found a grave with about 500 people. These figures and characterisations are Zelensky's own and were not independently verified in the sources.

He said hatred of Russians emerged when Ukrainian forces liberated the towns around Kyiv and mass graves of adults and tortured children were found. He said that, not the start of the full-scale invasion, was the moment people understood "what Putin did personally".

Zelensky also said that when Bucha was retaken he told officials: "Bring all the journalists here. Do nothing. Bring journalists. The whole world must see this." He asked what it would mean if a grave with 500 tortured people were found in the United States or Britain. Of Putin, he asked: "How can one listen to Putin after this? How can one forgive?"

Background

Bucha, in Kyiv region, was occupied by Russian forces in the early weeks of the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022. Ukrainian forces regained control around the end of March 2022. In early April, journalists and investigators documented bodies in the streets and mass graves. Moscow has denied responsibility and has called the evidence staged. Whether the killings legally amount to genocide is a question for courts. Ukraine and many governments describe them as war crimes.

The comments follow weeks of strained exchanges between Kyiv and Washington. RealUA reported on 14 October that Trump said "we have to make Zelensky want a deal" and that Putin wants a deal more than Zelensky does. On 11 October it reported Trump saying Ukraine should choose a new leader who can make a deal, which Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha rejected. Trump also announced an "energy ceasefire" in October. The White House later said it covered only refinery strikes, and Zelensky said Russia kept hitting Ukraine's energy sector.

Zelensky has not said when talks might resume. Earlier this week he said next diplomatic steps are being prepared after talks with US envoys.