NBC’s Kristen Welker Puts Zelensky on the Hot Seat About Whether Trump is an Honest Broker in Peace Talks: Is He ‘Negotiating In Good Faith?’

NBC’s Kristen Welker pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an interview that aired Sunday as to whether he believed President Donald Trump was capable of negotiating “in good faith” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky replied he hoped the US president had Ukraine’s interests in mind during his discussions with Putin about bringing the three-year war to a close.

Trump told reporters last week he had spoken to Putin by phone and that Russia’s leader wanted to end his country’s war against Ukraine. Trump plans to meet Putin face-to-face potentially in Saudi Arabia in the coming months to continue the talks.

The president also raised eyebrows last week when he declined to refer to Ukraine as an equal member of the peace process. When asked if he viewed Ukraine as a peer or having equal wait to Russia in peace talks, Trump responded, “Um, that’s an interesting question.”

On Sunday’s Meet the Press, Welker asked Zelensky if he trusted Trump to negotiate a peace deal that was fair to Ukraine:

WELKER: Do you think President Trump is negotiating in good faith?

ZELENSKY: I hope so. I hope so. Yes, I count on it. I count on it very much.

WELKER: Based on what you’re saying about President Putin, is he capable of negotiating in good faith? Is Putin capable of negotiating in good faith?

ZELENSKY:  No. No, and it’s not about good faith. No, no, no, no. No. No. No, no. Yes, you just can’t block his motivation to put him in such strong circumstances when he can’t begin the new invasion, re-invasion. But he wants. You’ll see. Everybody will see. He will try to begin something new. By the way, I said it today. I’m not sure that only about Ukraine we are speaking. He is thinking not only about Ukraine.

Watch above via NBC News.