Zelenskyy claims US ‘very often' under influence of Russian narratives on Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that the US is “very often” under the influence of Russian narratives on the war in his country, which has been going on for over three years.

“I can't be ungrateful for the US for everything they've done for us, but they today – very often I believe, unfortunately, are under the influence of Russian narratives, and we can't agree to these narratives,” Zelenskyy said in an interview in the French capital Paris with a panel of European journalists late Wednesday.

Expressing that the US and its people have always supported Ukraine since the start of the conflict in February 2022, Zelenskyy said there has been bipartisan support and that aid was flowing to the war-torn country.

Ukraine will be fighting Russia's narratives “wherever they are,” he noted, saying: “We just don't have any other choice. We are fighting for our independence and for our existence. We can only open up more truth, we should show by our examples, as we are fighting on the battlefield.”

Asked about US special envoy Steve Witkoff and whether the Ukrainian president believes the White House has been “peddling Kremlin propaganda,” Zelenskyy said that Witkoff frequently quotes the Kremlin and that he thinks this will not bring them closer to peace.

“And I believe that, sadly, it will weaken US pressure on Russia. We can only correct this informational field through our actions. We are trying to do that,” Zelenskyy further said.

He also underlined the need for a clear and decisive position from the US in supporting Ukraine, saying that Kyiv wants the Americans to be on its side.

“Even if America today has chosen to be in the middle, in the middle means in the middle, not closer to the Kremlin, and that's important," he added.