Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin wanted to "manipulate" Donald Trump, after the Kremlin chief praised the U.S. leader and said he was ready for talks with him.
Kyiv earlier warned against any Putin-Trump peace talks on the near three-year war without its and European participation.
"He wants to manipulate the desire of the president of the United States of America to achieve peace," Zelenskyy said during a daily evening address on social media. "I am confident that no Russian manipulations will succeed anymore."
He said Putin, who launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, was ready to continue the war and "manipulate the leaders of the world".
Putin had earlier praised Trump as a "smart" leader who might have prevented the conflict from starting.
The Russian leader did not say when talks would take place, and the Kremlin said Friday it was still waiting for "signals" from Washington, despite Trump announcing Thursday he was willing to meet Putin "immediately".
"We have always said, and I want to emphasise this once again, that we are ready for these negotiations on Ukrainian issues," Putin told a reporter from Russian state TV.
Praising Trump as a "smart" and "pragmatic" man, Putin also repeated the Republican's unfounded claim that he won the U.S. presidential election against Joe Biden in 2020.
"I cannot but agree with him that if he had been president -- if his victory hadn't been stolen in 2020 -- then maybe there would not have been the crisis in Ukraine that emerged in 2022," Putin said.
The Ukraine conflict has plunged relations between the two nuclear powers to their lowest levels since the Cold War.
Trump, who was inaugurated on Monday, has called the conflict "ridiculous" and threatened Russia with tougher economic sanctions if it does not agree to stop its offensive.
"If they don't settle this war soon, like almost immediately, I'm going to put massive tariffs on Russia, and massive taxes, and also big sanctions," the Republican said during a Fox News interview on Thursday.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the same day, Trump said he would ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to lower oil prices, claiming: "If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately."
Putin pushed back at Trump's claim that lower oil prices might expedite the end of the conflict.
"I have a hard time imagining there will be decisions taken that are detrimental to the American economy," Putin said Friday.
Neither side has shown signs of de-escalating hostilities since Trump's inauguration, despite the President claiming he would end the conflict in "24 hours" once in power.
Kyiv on Friday warned against being excluded from any talks.
"He (Putin) wants to negotiate the fate of Europe -- without Europe. And he wants to talk about Ukraine without Ukraine," the head of Ukraine's presidential office Andriy Yermak said.
"This is not going to happen. Putin needs to come back to reality himself, or he will be brought back. This is not how it works in the modern world."
Russian aerial attacks near Kyiv killed three people and wounded several others, Ukrainian officials said Friday, while Ukraine fired 120 drones at least 12 Russian regions, including the capital Moscow.
The Kremlin has launched drone or missile attacks at Kyiv almost every day since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, ostensibly targeting military and energy facilities.
"Three people were killed in an enemy attack in the Kyiv region," the emergency services said in a statement on social media.
Fragments of a drone had struck a 10-story residential building after the head of the region said a private home had also been hit, it added.
Black smoke billowed from a residential building damaged in the strike as rescue workers hauled out the bodies of the victims, official images from the scene showed.
In Russia, the Ukrainian military said it launched an overnight drone attack striking an oil refinery, power station facilities and an electronics plant.
State media reported that a microelectronics factory had halted work after six Ukrainian drones damaged production and storage facilities in the Bryansk region.
© 2025 AFP
89 Comments
TaiwanIsNotChina
Trump has said that Putin has yet to come to the negotiating table and we can see Trump begging and pleading for Putin to do so. The only path forward is to militarily defeat Putin to make it happen.
Underworld
And we have all seen Trump be manipulated by Putin before. In Helsinki when the president said: "President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be".
Let's hope Trump has learned his lesson this time.
JJE
Russia is the largest and most populous country in Europe. Putin is in the driver's seat on this one - Moscow would be nuts to agree to a ceasefire and will finish the proxy regime off slowly but surely.
Strange there's completely zero talk of that 200k 'peacekeeping force' emerging from somewhere, ranted on about just yesterday and the day before.
JJE
Putin made his comments (quoted in the article) at Moscow University - although he noted he went to Leningrad and came out a lawyer. He is quite a stickler for following correct legal procedures you see.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Which means very little: France and Germany alone have more people.
I too would like to see more russians expended in this effort.
Except for the four international agreements he violated with his war of aggression on Ukraine.
JJE
A memorandum is not a treaty - plus no one ratified said memo, even Washington.
リッチ
Of course Putin will and Trump being Putin’s yes man will do what the master says. Remember Trumps Russian strippers wife who is now FLOUS combined with alll his illegal actions, Trump probably did all over Europe with Eastine it’s time Trump will bow down to Russia.
quercetum
You're not the US’s priority. US citizens are.
Underworld
quercetum
The US's top foreign policy priority.
Toblerone
Of course Putin will and Trump being Putin’s yes man will do what the master says.
Trump is the most powerful person on the planet. He is what the world hasn’t seen for decades (and America’s enemies fear most) - a real US presdent who takes the interests of Americans and,by extension, the free world to heart.
Of course the leftists/“progressives”/neo Marxists hate him - no more decline and destruction of the US from within!
Underworld
JJE
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is crime of aggression under Article 8bis(1) of the Rome Statute, which constitutes a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations.
Underworld
Toblerone
I think Musk would disagree with that...
Yrral
Trump is only powerful as the court let him be,the most powerful person in the world, cannot stop the court from making him not a felon
bass4funk
Yes, but The courts can’t dictate to Trump or force him to send money to Zelenskyy
FizzBit
He should know, he's been manipulated by the US, EU, the Brits and NATO for a while now.
Underworld
bass4funk
True. He'll do that on his own accord.
Underworld
FizzBit
Zelensky warns Putin wants to 'manipulate' Trump on Ukraine
Zelenskyy's been manipulated by nobody.
bass4funk
In an Oliver Stone movie perhaps
TaiwanIsNotChina
It is when it is on paper and signed. Plus there are two other treaties and the UN charter we can discuss about russia violating.
wallace
Trump will be sending new weapons. He can't afford for Ukraine to be too weak for a peace deal.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Only if he mans up and spends the dough to keep Ukraine fighting.
TaiwanIsNotChina
No one hates the russian more than the Ukrainian now.
Tokyo Guy
I'd only take issue with the title of the article on one point: it's not "manipulate".
It's "order".
bass4funk
I am fine with him sending them weapons, money, taxpayer money is something different and not an option at this point anymore.
GuruMick
"Trump is the most powerful man on the planet "
Doubtful
"Trump is stupid "
Absolutely.
Before politics, how many companies did he start....and go into bankruptcy.
Putin is as shrewd as a sewer rat and Trump is a lazy fat man who inherited his wealth.
wallace
Weapons are money paid by the taxpayer and will need to be replaced.
wallace
Paid for by those who pay taxes.
Legrande
Zelensky of course wouldn't ever allow himself to manipulate anyone.
bass4funk
He is, that’s just an indisputable and irrefutable fact. The U.S. President is the most powerful person on the planet.
8 years, the Dems, the swamp and establishment Republicans, tried to stop him from running, from Christopher Steele, fake dossier, Mueller investigation, two failed impeachments, law fare, lawsuits one after another, going after his businesses, rape allegations, Maralago raid, over and over and throwing everything at this guy and he stepped over all of them, so for a guy who’s supposedly stupid, he’s a genius
Came back and then wrote a NY bestseller about it.
Try again
https://x.com/sputnikint/status/1882624386550640968?s=46&t=YGWP_lcRZjddiWlx4QxURQ
bass4funk
That’s separate that sending hard cold cash currency
ClippetyClop
Setting up for the flip eh. Well, better late than never.
Where do you think the money and weapons will come from? His own pockets?
nishikat
Really? That sounds like magic. Do weapons grow on trees?
bass4funk
No, no worries about a flip.
Scroll up, I already said it.
nishikat
Wow! Trump people believe weapons sprout out of the ground. Sounds like a good idea for a new but very dark Japanese anime.
ClippetyClop
When Biden sent money and weapons you were outraged. When Trump does it you like it. You have to eh.
Bass no longer an isolationist it seems. He's keen on grabbing Panama, Greenland and Canada too. Megaflip.
More nonsense. No you didn't.
Bob Fosse
“I will settle Russia-Ukraine while I’m president-elect”
“Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled”
“I’ll have that done – I’ll have that done in 24 hours”
How many voted for him on this campaign promise?
nishikat
Trump people believe in magic.
bass4funk
Yes
Yes
Figure of speech, relax
If anyone took that line literally, then they have a serious problem with reality
bass4funk
Yes, hard currency, absolutely.
No, this is why I want him to bring this to a close. And yes, if it’s limited weapons, I’m ok with that.
Nothing has changed
Not a flip..
I did.
Bob Fosse
What do you mean yes? It didn’t happen.
Again. It didn’t happen.
I knew you’d say that. You have no other choice.
Bob Fosse
Do you understand what president elect means Bass? I don’t think you do.
TaiwanIsNotChina
We love this hilarious distinction of yours. Fact is 2/3rds of what the US has sent has been weapons.
bass4funk
It will, have faith…oh, wait..
It will
I’m an optimist, what can I say?
I do.
nishikat
And who pays for these?
bass4funk
Cash, can put weapons in your pocket. Anyway, that won’t be happening, so I’m good on that.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Still believe that is tougher than sending weapons, huh?
Fos
LFink
Here comes the strenuous defender of the interests of the US big industrial military complex, and the right of ‘warmongering’ all over the globe, regardlessly of death and destructions.
And lets’ not forget the main policy of Washington:
Russia invading a country in the name of protecting security interests from perceived threats on its border = wrong, evil, worst thing ever.
Israel invading a country in the name of protecting security interests from perceived threats on its border = fine, normal, above board, nothing-to-see-here
As we all know the United States played a key role in generating and perpetuating this terrible conflict in Ukraine since the Bucharest Nato meeting in 2008.
For the US administration, it was just a golden opportunity to wear down Putin, put a leash on the Europeans and make good deals on arms and energy.
Russia has single-handedly stopped American aggression. And any negotiations will have to start with the military situation on the ground.
bass4funk
I’m just saying it won’t happen, even Zelenskyy knows it won’t happen, Trump nor the House or Senate will send Zelenskyy suitcases of money, it just won’t happen
Burgerland
He wants to manipulate the desire of the president of the United States of America to achieve peace," Zelenskyy said.'
Cute, Putin manipulating Trump to achieve peace is horrible, Zelensky manipulating Biden for treasure and weapons to continue an unwinnable war is good. Of course the MIC and neocon war hawks always had Biden's ear too so it wasn't all that hard. Kaching$$
TaiwanIsNotChina
Did you just not read that I said weapons and not cash?
TaiwanIsNotChina
The simple fact that Ukraine's existence remains on the line cuts through all of the gaslighting like a knife through butter.
Underworld
Fos
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is crime of aggression under Article 8bis(1) of the Rome Statute, which constitutes a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations.
I am no supporter of the US big industrial military complex.
No, I am no supporter of Putin.
Russia isn't invading Ukraine in the name of protecting security interests. That would be absurd.
Nonsense. The war started in 2022, not 2008.
So the US administration forced Putin to invade Ukraine to wear Putin down? Absurd.
Russia are fighting Ukraine. And the US aren't fighting anyone. There is no US aggression.
?
Primusinter
America is suspending aid to Ukraine due to the fact that Zelensky does not want to cancel his decree, by which he forbade himself to negotiate with Putin.
This is the first behind-the-scenes demand, as Putin has publicly stated that Zelensky should first cancel his decree, which would unblock the negotiation process that Trump is talking about. Obviously, with the hysterical statement, Zel wants to cast a shadow over the fact :)
Burgerland
I'd only take issue with the title of the article on one point: it's not "manipulate". It's "order".
Got any reliable proof Putin orders Trump? No? Just the usual defeated Dem fan sour grapes nonsense then, cool.
Underworld
Burgerland
He wants to manipulate the desire of the president of the United States of America to achieve peace," Zelenskyy said.'
He didn't say that. Re-read it. He said that Putin wants to manipulate the desire of the president of the United States of America to achieve peace. Very different.
Burgerland
The simple fact that Ukraine's existence remains on the line cuts through all of the gaslighting like a knife through butter.
Calm down, Putin doesn't want to wipe Ukraine off the map. Peace can be achieved along the current lines and no more lives need to be lost.
lincolnman
Wise advice, but I'm afraid too late...
Trump has been Putin's Puppet for at least eight years - and probably long before that...
Whether it's "kompromat" or just his love of dictators, Trump grovels at Putin's feet...
Like with every other position he has taken, he'll soon shock his supporters by praising Chinese President Xi...
Shock - but they'll quickly flip and show their CCP love too...
That's how cults work...
JJE
Putin was ready for talks many times. Moscow has indicated a ceasefire starts as soon as regime forces withdraw from the four oblasts the former claims as its territory. Then negotiations can commence about the status of other regions and demarcated borders etc. Neutrality and another key condition are also non-negotiable.
Underworld
Burgerland
As does Russia's existence.
That's not something that Putin would agree to. He wants political control of Ukraine, and end to Ukrainian culture and language, and a demilitarized Ukraine. None are acceptable to Ukrainians.
Hercolobus
Mr Zelensky, you had the chance to stop the war but you decided to be a puppet of the U.S., EU, and NATO.
Underworld
JJE
Which is a non-starter and Putin knows it. Putin has never been ready for talks.
Yes. Non-negotiable. Ukraine would never become neutral with an aggressive Russia on its border.
Since the only aggressive force in the region is Russia, I propose that Russia give up it's military and nuclear weapons and become neutral.
Underworld
Hercolobus
Zelenskyy makes his own decisions.
And giving Putin political control of Ukraine, while eradicating all Ukrainian culture and language, i.e., the previous peace proposal from Russia, is not a deal that he will sign.
Burgerland
Underworld
Zelensky makes his own decisions."
BoJo would disagree.
Indeed, then it makes sense that Russia sees this conflict and stopping NATO expansion into Ukraine as an existential threat. Thanks for clearing it up for TINC as the above was a quote of his post.
Putin has never been ready for talks."
Kremlin has stated it is ready for talks many times. It was reported in reliable media on numerous occasions.
Primusinter
So, who will repeal the decree banning negotiations with Putin? There is not a single legitimate representative of the government in Ukraine who would satisfy all the defenders of legality :) Perhaps a general national election is needed. How can the election be organized if only half of the population (relatively speaking) remains in Ukraine? And even this is possible. But how can we take into account the opinion of Ukrainian citizens who live in Russia and in the Ukrainian territories liberated by Russia? And that's (roughly) 10 million people. If the opinions of these people don't count, then how can Zel even pronounce that he doesn't agree to the loss of these territories?
"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry"
Blacklabel
Totally and completely “coincidentally” I’m sure, the war will be over in the next 90 days.
JJE
There's a Russian army force less than 4 clicks from the Zaporizhzhia border.
Underworld
Burgerland
Zelensky makes his own decisions."
No he wouldn't.
The simple fact that let Ukraine's existence remains on the line cuts through all of the gaslighting like a knife through butter........As does Russia's existence."*
No it doesn't. Putin doesn't see NATO, a defensive alliance, as an existential threat. He even said that he doesn't care about Finland, with a large shared border, joining NATO.
Putin has never been ready for talks.
As I mentioned in that post, making Ukraine surrender all sovereignty of the areas under Russian control as a prerequisite for starting talks is a non-starter and Putin knows it.
So why would he do that?
Because Putin isn't ready for talks.
ClippetyClop
Reasonable people don't like being lied to. You seem to prefer to be lied to.
Was he also fibbing about the ending the war bit, or just the time he needed to do it? If he doesn't end it will you claim that reasonable people didn't expect him to end the war?
You need to get the cope prepared good n early.
KnightsOfCydonia
the fact that putin is puckering up to trump speaks volumes. The autocrat needs a deal no matter how much the moscow patriots deny it. Let's hope trump and his team can see past this ruse and continue to stand strong, united with a Europe that is hopefully willing to do more.
Primusinter
Yesterday Russia and Ukraine exchanged bodies of dead soldiers according to the formula 49 for 757. This is the first exchange this year, the previous one was on December, 20 — 42 for 508. Pay attention to the ratio of the number of exchanged bodies. And there has never been a reverse ratio. These are facts that are reported by both Ukrainian and Russian official sources. This indirectly indicates which losses in this war Russia is not suffering, and which are Ukraine's. Reread again what numbers your new patron mentioned, and compare
"Ah, it is easy to deceive me…
I long to be deceived myself!" @Pushkin A.S.
Blacklabel
if it’s completed, it’s not a lie.
it’s a delay; took longer than anticipated. But got done.
Primusinter
Sorry, missed to specify, that 49 bodies- Russians, 757 - Ukrainians.
42 - Russians, 508 - Ukrainians.
Underworld
Burgerland
Yeah, it's all nonsense, of course. Fico is just worried about people protesting his pro-Russian stance:
Approximately 100,000 people protested across Slovakia on January 24, demanding Prime Minister Robert Fico’s resignation amid escalating tensions over his pro-Russian stance and claims of an orchestrated coup attempt.
ClippetyClop
Lol, retreat!!! Something you didn't say when he said it, only when after he couldn't do it.
You all thought that Trump would come in, immediately stop anything going to Ukraine, force them to surrender and give Putin everything he wanted.
Now that dream isn't happening you are having trouble coping.
Team Putin are having to jump through some very tight coping hoops this morning.
Mr Kipling
Wallace....
The Ukrainians are short of weapons but that is not their big problem. The are short of men. Or more specifically men who want to fight.
You think Trump is going to send US soldiers to die for Ukraine?
Underworld
Mr Kipling
Trump will be sending new weapons.
Their biggest problem is that Putin isn't interested in peace.
Not as a fighting force. As a peacekeeping force? Maybe.
Blacklabel
nope. That’s how people get killed and that causes wars to escalate went involve us.
No American boots on the ground means no American blood spilled. Proxy war is over.
Antiquesaving
Explain why every article goes on and on about this same thing, but zero mention about what is happening in Kursk, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, etc...where Ukrainian military has lost more ground, more men at a faster pace than before!
Ukrainian troops in multiple areas are encircled or operationally encircled, you only have to look a Deepstatemaps (Ukrainian site) and look at the daily changes.
This deliberate MSM position of ignoring everything unless Zelenski says something is deceiving the public on the true situation.
Underworld
Blacklabel
Not a proxy war.
We shall see...
Primusinter
I found data from several other exchanges on the network. This is all official data.
November 29, 52rus - 502ukr,
November 8, 37rus - 563ukr,
October 18, 89rus - 501ukr,
August 2, 38rus - 250ukr.
By the way, I was mistaken, the Ukrainian sources did not report their losses.
Underworld
Antiquesaving
Ukrainian officials said Friday, while Ukraine fired 120 drones at least 12 Russian regions, including the capital Moscow.
The Kremlin has launched drone or missile attacks at Kyiv almost every day since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, ostensibly targeting military and energy facilities.
Because not much is really going on. In 2024, Russia gained an extra 0.7% of Ukrainian land area. Russia has less of Ukraine now than the early months of the war.
ClippetyClop
Haha! Rather an important mistake, eh?
So these are from Russian sources?
Dismissed.
KnightsOfCydonia
this could be interpreted as msm ignore my perception of events so i won't believe it.
Geeter Mckluskie
Of course Putin wants to manipulate Trump. So does Zelensky!
What does this guy think negotiation entails?
Peter14
And there is the proof that Putin is brown nosing Trump. Both sides of politics confirmed that the election Trump lost was free and fair, and one of the most scrutinized in modern history. For Putin to go with Trumps lies shows how far Putin is ready to crawl through the mud to get Trump on Russia's side.
Antiquesaving
Well let's see, Russia has taken several Marjo Ukrainian long standing fortified cities crossed the 2014 line Which it hadn't done before, etc...
But nice try at the rose colour glasses.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20241231-russian-advances-in-ukraine-grew-seven-fold-in-2024-data-shows
Blacklabel
If a war ends once an outside party stops paying money and providing weapons for someone to fight, it’s a proxy war.
Underworld
Antiquesaving
Because not much is really going on. In 2024, Russia gained an extra 0.7% of Ukrainian land area. Russia has less of Ukraine now than the early months of the war.
Still only 0.7% of Ukraine.
Yeah, they got 0.7% in 2024 and 0.1% in 2023. Not impressive.
Especially considering Putin thought the war would be over in a week.
Underworld
Blacklabel
Not a proxy war.
Agreed. And the US stopped paying money when the Ukraine aid bill was stalled for months. War didn't stop.