Putin's a 'little bit scared' of Trump as nations begin peace talks, Zelenskyy says

Zelenskyy joined NBC's "Meet the Press," recounting that when he spoke to Trump by phone about a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, he told the president that he believes Putin fears the American leader. 

"I said that [Putin] is a liar," Zelenskyy recounted of his phone call to Trump. "And he said, 'I think my feeling is that he's ready for these negotiations.' And I said to him, 'No, he's a liar. He doesn't want any peace.' 

"But I think he's really a little bit scared about the President Trump. And I think the president has this chance, and he's strong. And I think that really he can push Putin to peace negotiations. Yes, I think so. I think he can, but don't trust him. Don't trust Putin. Don't trust just words about ceasefire," Zelenskyy told NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press." 

"I believe and trust only in real steps. And I trust President Trump because he's the president of the United States, because your people, your people voted for him, and I respect their choice, and I will work with President Trump with trust, which I have to the United States," Zelenskyy told Welker when asked if he feels Trump values Ukraine at the same level as Russia. 

"But of course, I want to have [a] real meeting, productive, without just words, with concrete steps, and to hear us, to hear President Trump, to make a common plan, and to share it with allies, then with Russians, and stop this war. I think we need it urgently. We have to do it without basic things, where there are concrete steps."

Zelenskyy added in his interview that he will not accept any negotiation hashed out by just the U.S. and Russia.

Witkoff joined Fox News earlier on Sunday and reported that he and Waltz are heading to Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening to begin negotiations on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.