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Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted he is “not the best father”, as he spoke of the personal challenges he has faced during the four-year war with Russia.
In an interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian president said his role had taken a toll on his family, but that it was his duty to lead Ukraine.
He said he would do anything to bring about peace for his country, and confirmed that another round of trilateral talks was likely to take place next week.
“During the war, I’m not the best father… because I don’t have too much time for my children,” he told Sky News in an interview that aired on Friday.
“I’m the president of Ukraine, I don’t compare my job… because my choice… is duty. My choice is Ukraine. That’s why I said I’m no good father during the war.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska (PA Wire)
President Zelensky has previously spoken about the difficulties of not being able to see his children during the war due to security reasons.
In an interview with Vogue in 2022, Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska admitted it had been hard for their children to be separated from their father during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The pair welcomed their daughter, Oleksandra, in 2003, and their son, Kyrylo, in 2013.
In the interview with Sky News, the president said the US had the power to end Russia’s invasion and called for the country to ramp up its efforts.
“The United States is even more stronger than they think about themselves… And they really have pressure on Putin. They can stop this war,” he said.
He confirmed that US-led peace talks would likely take place in early March.
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US-led discussions are likely to take place in early March (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)
It comes after the Ukrainian president had a “long” and “peaceful” phone call with Donald Trump on Wednesday, which was joined by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
Following the discussions, President Zelensky said: “We expect this meeting to create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders’ level. President Trump supports this sequence of steps.”
Asked if he trusted Donald Trump, the Ukrainian president told Sky News: “You know it’s more about me and President Trump. It’s not about personalities, it’s more about institutions.
“We need to trust each other, and that’s why I’m trying to build such relations with the United States. Relations can’t be dependent on their personalities.”
As the war enters its fifth year, President Zelensky said there was a window between now and the US midterm elections in November, which would be crucial for reaching peace.
“It depends on these months, if we will have a chance to finish the war before autumn. Before elections, important, influential, elections in the United States. If it will be possible to achieve a peace, we will have, now we have this window.”