‘Russia Wants to Destroy the US’ – Zelensky on Trump’s Peace Efforts, Mobilization, KGB’s Church Control (2025)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia aims to destroy the US and that Ukraine’s struggle against the Kremlin regime is, in its way, beneficial to the American people.

In an interview with Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro published Thursday, Zelensky recalled the Soviet Union’s Cold War-era policies, which were based on the goal of annihilating the US and NATO countries in a nuclear conflict.

“The Russians have always wanted – and still want – the destruction of the United States. This is the policy of the Soviet Union. We are fighting for your rights as well as our own,” Zelensky said.

On Trump and the dispute

Zelensky emphasized that Kyiv sees the US as a strong strategic partner with global influence.

“And we would very much like to achieve peace through strength. That would be useful for Russia – to have strength directed at it, because it is the aggressor,” he said.

Zelensky added that he respects US President Donald Trump’s desire for peace, even if Trump has a unique approach.

“I respect very much the fact that he seeks peace. But you should not say that Ukraine started this war. I think it hurts our people to hear that. That’s why we reacted the way we did,” Zelensky said.

He said that his Feb. 28 meeting with Trump at the White House was important for Ukraine, though a dispute that arose during the meeting was unhelpful for either side.

“We needed to discuss many issues. We had different meetings – productive ones, and I would say more philosophical ones – at different stages of our lives, including with President Trump. That’s why I believe that the Oval Office meeting didn’t help either Ukraine or the US,” Zelensky told Shapiro.

In his view, when Ukraine and the US come together at such a high level, they should “bring light to people,” particularly by showing a path toward ending the war.

Zelensky said he remains optimistic that future meetings with Trump will be even more productive.

“We count on a strategic partnership and have always respected the American people, their choice, and the support that comes from the US. That is why I believe we will have more fruitful meetings with President Trump,” Zelensky told Shapiro.

“But you must understand Ukraine: we are defending ourselves from Russian aggression,” he added.

On US aid and oversight

Zelensky estimated that Ukraine has received approximately $105 billion in weapons and other forms of security assistance from the US since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

He emphasized that all aid has been thoroughly monitored by the American side to ensure proper use and added that Ukraine conducts its audits.

“I have my own internal audit, and my country clearly documents how much aid was provided,” Zelensky said.

The president also said that Russia had attempted to undermine US support for Ukraine early in the war through disinformation.

“They [the Russians] wanted to do this through fake news and other tools. That’s why we immediately said [to the US]: we are open, send inspectors,” he added.

According to Zelensky, there is no evidence that American weapons have ended up “somewhere abroad,” as some critics of US support for Ukraine have claimed.

He also stressed that US aid has bolstered America’s own defense capabilities, noting that Ukraine has shared valuable battlefield knowledge and technological experience with Washington:

“The US received full and open information about drones. These are new weapons that were not available to the US before the war. Now the US has received all this experience and all these developments.”

In addition, Zelensky said that the Pentagon significantly increased production of critical ammunition during the war, stockpiles that were quickly depleted in the early months of supporting Ukraine.

US military analysts, he said, have also gained key insights into warfare on today’s “hyper-transparent” battlefield.

On “forced mobilization” in Ukraine

Responding to a question about “forced mobilization” in Ukraine, Zelensky said that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have joined the military voluntarily.

“In Ukraine, there are now 800,000 or 600,000 people who have voluntarily joined the army. These are people who have voluntarily gone to defend Ukraine,” he said.

At the same time, Zelensky acknowledged that there have been isolated incidents of misconduct during mobilization, but stressed that such cases do not represent Ukraine as a whole.

“Law enforcement agencies must guarantee that there will be no violence [during mobilization],” he said.

He added that each reported violation of the legal mobilization process is thoroughly investigated by the Land Forces and the Ministry of Defense, which oversee the mobilization process.

“The country is in a state of war. That’s why we have mobilization. We want the war to end, we want a just peace, calm, and nothing – neither mobilization nor martial law. However, as long as there is a war, as long as there is a law, there is mobilization,” Zelensky said.

“Moscow cannot control our church”

Addressing a question from Shapiro about Ukraine allegedly restricting religious freedom, particularly with regard to the Russian Orthodox Church, Zelensky firmly denied the accusation.

“There are no ‘shadow’ practices. Anyone can confirm that there is no pressure. We celebrate all holidays together. We have people of different faiths, and we always invite everyone,” he said.

Zelensky clarified that the issue isn’t with the church as a religious institution, but with the role of Russian state influence.

“The problem is not with the Moscow Church, but with the fact that – in the case of Russia – the church is just another KGB unit,” he said.

“Everyone knows that Russian special services control churches. That’s how they are arranged... The fact remains: their special services controlled the churches that operated in Ukraine. This is wrong.”

Zelensky stressed that the church must be free from foreign interference:

“The church must be independent, and Moscow cannot control our church. Their KGB, their intelligence, cannot manage or influence the Ukrainian church. They should not be here.”

According to him, recent legislative changes reflect this position – that there can be no legal or institutional connection between Ukrainian churches and Moscow.

“No one closed anything or banned anyone. But it cannot be that the Russian KGB controls the church in Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

“Everyone is against such legal connections – and it’s not just about intelligence ties.”

He added that this issue goes beyond religious doctrine and involves Ukraine’s sovereignty:

“It was about a legal connection that existed for many years. But this should not be. We should not argue about whose church is older. Ukraine should not discuss this at all. Look - we are now sitting next to the St. Sophia Cathedral. Sophia is older than the capital of Russia and any of their churches. This building is older, and this is the answer,” he said.

“We are simply saying: our church must be free from any external influence. It must be free for people.”