Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” after Putin refused to engage in peace talks and questioned his legitimacy.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Brzezinka, Poland,

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued during an interview that President Trump’s recent tough rhetoric is what Russian President Vladimir Putin is “afraid of.” Since being sworn in, Trump has put more pressure on Putin to negotiate with Ukraine in order to reach a peace agreement that would potentially end the nearly three-year war in

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” to engage in peace talks after his Russian counterpart claimed Kyiv’s government was illegitimate and not worthy to negotiate with.

This is exactly what Putin is afraid of. He doesn't want strong Trump supporting Ukraine because it would be a strong Ukraine," he said, noting that Ukraine has regained 50% of the Russian-occupied territory since the full-scale invasion began.