Volodymyr Zelensky delivers six-word jab at Donald Trump amid rising tensions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected former President Donald Trump’s portrayal of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as a mere playground spat. Speaking in a high-profile interview on ABC News’ This Week with Martha Raddatz, Zelensky dismissed Trump’s analogy and challenged the idea that Russia is genuinely interested in ending the war.

“With all due respect to President Trump, that’s just his personal view,” Zelensky said. “We understand the Russian mentality far better than the Americans do. I can say with certainty that Putin does not want to stop this war.”

Zelensky’s comments directly addressed Trump’s comparison of the conflict to two children fighting in a park, which Trump made last week during a White House press conference alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump suggested sometimes it’s better to let the “kids” fight before stepping in, even telling Putin in a phone call that “maybe you’re going to have to keep fighting and suffering a lot.”

Rejecting this characterization, Zelensky insisted, “We are not two kids playing in a park with the Russians. Putin is not a child. This is not something you can just let go on.”

He was blunt: “Putin is a murderer who came into the park to kill children.”

The Ukrainian president cited a recent drone attack in the Kharkiv region that claimed the lives of five civilians, including three children, shortly after Putin vowed retaliation during his call with Trump. Zelensky argued that such brutal incidents prove Russia’s lack of seriousness about peace.

“This is not some playground fight. This is a full-scale war with devastating consequences,” he said.

Zelensky’s interview comes at a critical time as the U.S. Congress debates a new round of military aid to Ukraine amid growing partisan disagreements over how to manage the conflict. Trump has repeatedly claimed that if re-elected, he could end the war “in 24 hours,” but has yet to offer a concrete plan.

Meanwhile, Zelensky continues to emphasize that Ukraine would accept peace only on its own terms — specifically demanding the complete withdrawal of Russian forces from occupied areas.

As the war enters its third year, with tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, Zelensky remains resolute in resisting Russian aggression and refuses to be pressured into a ceasefire dictated by Moscow.