Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russian disinformation is affecting American leaders in an interview with Time magazine published on Monday (March 24).

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Zelensky said that some members of the US administration appear to be placing more trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin than in their intelligence services.

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"I believe Russia has managed to influence some people on the White House team through information," Ukraine's Zelensky said. "Their signal to the Americans was that the Ukrainians do not want to end the war, and something should be done to force them," he added.

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Military aid and intelligence support from the US to Ukraine were briefly suspended following a tense meeting between Zelensky, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance at the White House which ended in a heated exchange. Although assistance later resumed after further talks between US and Ukrainian officials, the interruption raised concerns in Kyiv about the reliability of American backing.

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In a separate interview on 21 March with far-right US commentator Tucker Carlson, US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff appeared to repeat Russian talking points, which further deepened doubts about the direction of US policy.

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"(Russia) reclaimed these five regions. They have Crimea, and they've gotten what they want. So why do they need more?" Witkoff said.

Zelensky also addressed another instance he said reflected the Russian propaganda which was Trump’s comments about the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

"That was a lie," Zelensky stated.

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Trump made those claims just before a scheduled phone call with Putin on 18 March. The purpose of the call was to discuss a possible peace agreement, including a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had already agreed to.

Putin initially indicated a willingness to consider the ceasefire but then added conditions, including the end of all foreign military and intelligence support for Ukraine.

During his conversation with Trump, Putin once again refused to agree to a full ceasefire, offering instead a temporary 30-day halt in attacks on energy infrastructure. However, that limited ceasefire was reportedly broken by Russian forces shortly afterwards.

Also read: US and Russia talks on Ukraine peace deal underway in Saudi Arabia: Trump-brokered ceasefire in sight?

(With inputs from agencies)