Zelensky on Trump's Russia statement: No warning shot but direct signal

The head of state said this in an interview with Italian journalist Cecilia Sala for the Il Foglio newspaper, Ukrinform reports.

"It is important that there is a signal from a strong man. It is like a shot. This is no shot in the air that warns of something, he immediately delivers a direct message. He says he really wants to end the war. He really wants to end the war. We do not yet know how it will go, we do not know the details, and I think that President Trump himself does not know all the details," Zelensky said.

In his opinion, Putin does not want the war to end, and today's Russia is a state that "understands only the language of force."

"I think Trump understands all these challenges and simply says that we need to end (the war – ed.) because things will get worse. He says ‘worse’, sending a message to the Russian side. This is his tactic, and I like it as of today," the president said.

As Ukrinform reported, yesterday U.S. President Donald Trump said he wished no harm to Russia and that he loves the Russian people but he will have no choice but to impose a "high level of taxes, tariffs, and sanctions" on goods from Russia should Moscow snub a peace agreement on Ukraine.