Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that he is prepared to pursue a deal to end the war with Russia, while expressing concern over what he described as waning U.S. support in an interview with ABC News.
Zelenskyy said he would reach a peace agreement immediately if possible and repeated that Ukraine is willing to freeze the conflict along the existing front line to bring the nearly five-year war to a close.
“We are ready to stop this war as quick as possible,” Zelenskyy told ABC News.
Russia now occupies more than 19% of Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy. However, he said Kyiv would not surrender additional territory as part of a settlement.
The White House has stepped up pressure on Zelenskyy to accept concessions aimed at reaching an agreement with Moscow. President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Kyiv for the stalled U.S.-backed peace negotiations.
Trump earlier this month lifted sanctions on Russian oil to permit diesel imports as fuel prices rose, and he has also urged Zelenskyy to stop strikes against Russian energy facilities. Zelenskyy has denounced the approach, saying it benefits Russia and could enable Moscow to extend the war.
Although Zelenskyy said he does not feel betrayed by Washington, he voiced frustration over the reduced level of American assistance.
“I feel what I feel,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s not supportive.”
Zelenskyy, whose relationship with Trump has often been strained, said he could not explain what may have changed between them as the U.S. president has appeared to grow closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I don’t know if it’s wrong or not, because it’s his personal decision to be friends with Putin or not,” Zelenskyy said.
“I think they’re in quite very good relations, yes,” Zelenskyy said of Trump and Putin.
He also said Ukraine had received just 24 Patriot interceptor missiles from the United States over the previous three months, far short of what its defenses require.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv was struck by 30 ballistic missiles on Thursday night alone. Ukraine needs an average of 350 Patriot interceptors each month, he added.
Despite his criticism, Zelenskyy said he remains thankful for the U.S. partnership during the war, while acknowledging that he is not always “polite” in his manner.
“Ukraine can’t have weak president now,” Zelenskyy said.
“Of course I’m a normal person, I’m just human, maybe not such a big humanitarian as Putin, of course,” he added.
The previous week, U.S.-owned satellite infrastructure used by Ukraine’s armed forces for drone navigation and air defense was operating below its normal capacity.
Asked whether he believed Putin had asked Trump to cut intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, Zelenskyy replied: “I don’t know. I hope, I trust and I hope God bless. No.”
Zelenskyy told ABC News that Starlink, the satellite network vital to Ukraine’s military operations, also remains only partially functional despite Trump’s assurances.
“It works, but it’s still limited,” Zelenskyy said, explaining that the network’s coverage range remained narrow.
However, a source in the Ukrainian President’s Office told ABC News Saturday morning that the speed restrictions on Starlink and Starshield have been lifted. The systems are now operating at travel speeds exceeding 161 km/h (100 mph).
“It is not yet entirely clear whether everything is working as it did before, but the systems are consistently operating at speeds above the previous limit,” the source said
Trump was asked about possible ongoing problems with the network when he met reporters at the White House on Friday, responding that he hadn’t spoken to Elon Musk — whose company SpaceX runs Starlink — about it yet.
“I’ve heard it was fixed, but if it’s not, I’ll speak to him,” the president said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday denied that the U.S. had ever paused or changed intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
This week, the Trump administration denied ordering a slowdown in Starshield and Starlink-supported networks, with administration officials pointing to Elon Musk's SpaceX -- which runs the network -- for the change.
In a post on X last week, Musk addressed the government's relationship to Starlink and its missile-tracking Starshield program.
"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS," he wrote. "Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX. Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company."
Amid the heightened strain, Ukrainian officials have also reported Russian ballistic missile attacks without the kind of warning from partners that has been typical in the conflict.
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday for the latest round of U.S.-led peace talks to end Moscow's ongoing invasion, which the Kremlin launched in February 2022. The talks came a day after Witkoff met with Zelenskyy in the Norwegian capital of Oslo.
Putin said Thursday that Russia is ready to resume trilateral talks "to discuss ensuring the security of Ukraine and Russia once peace agreements have been reached -- in their final form."
Amid the diplomatic efforts, Russia and Ukraine have continued to trade massive strikes.
ABC News' Bruno Roeber and Desiree Adib contributed to this report.