Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern over U.S. President Donald Trump's conciliatory stance toward Russia, warning that it "will make him (Russian President Vladimir Putin) stronger."

In an interview with CNN on the 22nd (local time), regarding the friction between himself and President Trump triggered by President Putin pushing for a trilateral summit with the U.S. and China while President Trump considers lifting sanctions on Russia, President Zelenskyy stated, "This is not a personal issue between me and President Trump."

President Zelenskyy pointed out, "Putin wants to continue this war," adding, "He is playing games with other people's lives."

He went on to say, "What we want from our partners is not to give Putin the opportunity to become stronger and destroy us," urging that sanctions against Russia not be lifted and that sufficient Patriot air defense missile systems be provided to Ukraine.

He said, "We are desperately asking (the U.S. to support Patriots). We are currently receiving a certain quantity from European countries, but it is not enough for defense because our energy system is under attack."

President Zelenskyy noted that the military intelligence sharing provided by the U.S. along with Patriots is "working," but stated that the satellite-based communication system Starlink is "still not working."

He conveyed, "(The operating speed of Starlink) was restricted and then increased a little," adding, "But it is still restricted even now."

He then explained, "When (Russia's) Iranian-made drones fly at 400 kilometers per hour, if suddenly one night the (Starlink) speed limit is lowered to 70 or 100 kilometers, we cannot destroy anything," and added, "It means they restricted our usage inside Ukrainian territory. It means they limited our ability to defend ourselves."

Regarding a peace proposal with Russia mediated by a U.S. delegation, President Zelenskyy drew a line, stating that territorial concessions to Russia are unacceptable.

President Zelenskyy emphasized, "Our land is very important," adding, "Many people have lost their lives defending this land, defending our independence and our country."

He argued, "No one will recognize these temporarily occupied areas (by the Russian military) as Russian territory," and maintained, "First, the killing must stop, and a ceasefire or a freezing of the frontline must take place."

(Photo: Getty Images)