'These are the bullets the United States is supplying to Russia': Zelensky disappointed with Biden's decision

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he learned from the press - not from direct communication - that President Biden has decided to stop trying to block the Russian pipeline, which Ukraine considers a serious threat to national security, writes Axios.

Photo: president.gov.ua

Zelenskiy sat down for an hour-long Zoom interview with Axios on Friday June 4 to ask Biden to meet him face-to-face ahead of the June 16 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, inviting him to join him "anytime, anywhere in the world."

Zelenskiy talked about Putin's psychological pressure campaign, how his own anger turned into disillusionment with the United States, and his hope that Biden, whom he compares to the great basketball player Michael Jordan, can still outsmart Russia and save Ukraine.

Why is it important

Russian gas now flows through Ukraine on its way to Europe. Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, will allow Russia to bypass and isolate Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Zelensky said that the United States is the only force capable of stopping Russia.

“These weapons, real weapons... are in the hands of the Russian Federation,” he said. “It is not very clear that the bullets for these weapons can be provided by such a great country as the United States.”

Putin already has additional leverage over Ukraine. The Russian president said that Ukraine must show goodwill if it still wants Russian gas to pass through the country.

What they say in the USA

“The State Department regularly interacted with Ukrainian officials regarding Nord Stream 2. Before transmitting the latest report to Congress, the State Department notified Ukraine's ambassador in Washington and senior officials in Kyiv, including the president's chief of staff, about the contents of the report,” a White House spokesperson told Axios.

“The administration intends to continue consultations with Ukraine as we are putting pressure on Germany to address the risks that Nord Stream 2 poses for Ukraine and European energy security. We also welcome Ukraine's direct engagement with the German government on their concerns. ”

On the subject: Biden and Zelensky first talked on the phone: what did the presidents talk about

"When President Biden meets with President Putin in Geneva, he will defend Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as he did in both of his previous appeals to President Putin."

An administration source said the White House had considered inviting Zelenskiy to Washington ahead of Biden’s summit with Putin, but declined to continue the meeting after Zelenskiy’s decision to change the leadership of state-owned energy company Naftogaz. The move has raised concerns within the administration as it rolls back efforts to combat corruption.

Status

Putin announced on Friday, June 4, that the first of two lines had been completed and said energy giant Gazprom was “ready to start filling Nord Stream 2 with gas.”

The White House called the pipeline "a Kremlin geopolitical project that threatens European energy security." But Biden nonetheless waived US sanctions against the companyworking to complete the construction of the pipeline.

Zelenskiy said that he no longer feels anger and now he would describe his feelings as disappointment.

Zelenskiy says Biden gave him "direct signals" that the US was ready to block the pipeline. Then word came that Biden would drop the sanctions.

The Ukrainian president said he needed to hear a press briefing at the White House to get an explanation: the administration said the pipeline was almost complete and stressed the importance of good relations with Germany.

Zelenskiy said he understood the importance of this relationship, but asked: "How many Ukrainian lives are the relationship between the United States and Germany worth?"

The Ukrainian president says he is "confident" that Biden can still stop the pipeline.

“At the end of the day, I still believe Biden is the Jordan of politics,” he said.

He remembered how Michael Jordan lulls opponents with a "false sense of victory" and then "takes the victory at the very last minute."

“If that’s not the case, it’s a shame, and not just for me,” he said. “There will be a feeling that under these conditions Russia will have an excellent chance to prevail over the United States.”

The White House says the administration has proposed a summit with Putin to establish a "stable and predictable" relationship with the Russian president.

According to Zelensky, Biden is far from the first US president to strive for this.

“But if you ask me, the best case scenario for the United States would be for Russia to start seeking to improve relations with the United States,” he added.

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Zelenskiy has lost stability or predictability from Moscow since taking office in 2019. He believes that the recent build-up of Russian military power at the borders was an attempt to exert "psychological pressure" and noted that the threat still exists.

Ukraine's president expressed gratitude for Biden's support during the standoff but said the Nord Stream decision could "undermine Ukrainians' trust" in the United States.

He also said he had discussed with the Biden administration "a possible increase in military aid" to enhance security in the Black and Azov Seas around Ukraine's coastline. It is unclear if Biden will continue these discussions.

What's next

A source familiar with US engagement said that a few days ago, the US informed the Ukrainian side that they would hold a telephone conversation this week, as early as Monday, June 7th. This can be a controversial conversation.

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