Putin only wants Ukraine, West, and U.S. to capitulate - Ukrainian ex-PM

He shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

"All these ceasefires are nothing but a Putin scam. The war criminal Putin is only ready for one thing — the capitulation of Ukraine, the capitulation of the West, and effectively the capitulation of the American administration. What’s happening now is what was spoken about months ago. I wrote about it in an article for the Atlantic Council on the day of President Trump’s inauguration: either Ukraine’s victory is Trump’s victory, or, God forbid, the fall of Ukraine, which must not happen under any circumstances. That would be the greatest geopolitical defeat of the United States of America, and far more tragic for the U.S. and for the president than the stories of Vietnam, Saigon, or Afghanistan. It would be a complete disaster for the leader of the free world," Yatsenyuk stated.

The American administration must urgently recognize the need to prepare a new package of military aid for Ukraine, as well as to develop new sanctions against Russia, including a package of secondary sanctions, he noted.

"Many in Ukraine harshly criticize the Trump administration, but that’s the easiest thing to do. In public interviews with American and Western media, I try to avoid such language for one simple reason: if we criticize Trump — what do we gain? Putin will use it against us. We must do the impossible to bring Americans back to the course they should be on. That course is support for Ukraine, NATO, and transatlantic unity. Otherwise, the future of the United States as a global leader will be in question," Yatsenyuk added.

According to him, China is also playing a significant role behind the scenes and is engaged in serious discussions with Putin. In particular, Putin’s position on whether or not to sign a temporary ceasefire is being influenced by China. The EU could play an important role in this process.

"China wants to reestablish relations with the European Union. Europe has certain leverage over China because China wants access to the European market," he concluded.

• On Friday, April 25, Russian leader Vladimir Putin held a three-hour meeting in Moscow with U.S. Special Representative Steve Witkoff. The Kremlin says the politicians discussed the possibility of resuming direct talks between Ukraine and Russia.