Five Visits to Moscow, None to Kyiv: US Analyst Backs Zelensky’s Criticism

US analyst Paul Goble told Kyiv Post that Zelensky is voicing broad frustration that Washington appears more aligned with Moscow than Kyiv, and dismissed Putin’s Easter ceasefire as propaganda. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied President Volodymyr Zelensky answers AFP journalists’ questions during an interview in Kyiv on February 20, 2026. (Photo by Genya SAVILOV / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google “President Zelensky is expressing the frustration many feel in Ukraine and beyond that the US seems far more aligned with Moscow than with Kyiv as far as the war in Ukraine is concerned,” US analyst Paul Goble told Kyiv Post. “The extent to which the Trump administration is doing what Moscow wants and selling out Ukraine is increasingly obvious, and the Ukrainian leader is simply expressing his anger about that.” Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . In an interview with Alastair Campbell on The Rest is Politics podcast released on Thursday, President Zelensky criticized the US negotiating team for what he suggested was a lack of balance and a poor understanding of the Kremlin’s real goals. Zelensky said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had “spent too much time” with Vladimir Putin and senior Kremlin officials. He pointed to what he described as a glaring imbalance in travel: five visits to Moscow last year and none to Kyiv. The Ukrainian leader argued that Washington is ignoring evidence that Russia is helping Iran in its conflict with the US. Ukraine has repeatedly said Moscow is providing Tehran with intelligence, including support for strikes against US and Israeli forces amid hostilities in the Middle East. “I said this publicly. Did we hear a reaction from the US to Russia that they have to stop it?” Zelensky asked. “The problem is they trust Putin. And it’s a pity.” Other Topics of Interest Vance on Ukraine, Budanov on War’s End – Ukraine Latest, April 10 Russia’s Telegram ban, Budanov’s war-end teaser, closed-door briefing with Zelensky’s sanctions envoy – updates from Ukraine and beyond Zelensky argued that the White House trusts Putin without fully understanding Russia’s psychology or its broader territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine. Goble was dismissive of Vladimir Putin’s newly declared 32-hour Easter ceasefire, arguing that the Russian leader was once again seeking headlines without changing his conduct on the battlefield. “Putin is engaged in his usual propaganda efforts, declaring he is doing something that appears to be popular even in Russia but continuing to act as he wants,” Goble said. “The first attracts big attention; the second much less – one more reason why he continues to lie.” For Goble, Zelensky’s earlier proposal to halt strikes on energy infrastructure was substantive, while Putin’s broader truce announcement was aimed at appearances. “Zelensky’s proposal was a real one; Putin’s, a propaganda ploy designed to suggest that Putin is more interested in peace than Zelensky is but in fact showing exactly the opposite,” he said. Zelensky also pointed to “a small window of opportunity” created by the ceasefire in the Middle East, saying it would require swift action from Ukraine’s partners to turn it into real progress. “I don’t believe the Iranian ceasefire is real or will last,” Goble said. “So I doubt that it can be the occasion for progress in Ukraine, especially given where Washington is as far as responding to Russian aggression.” April 11 is the date when the current US easing of sanctions on certain Russian oil sales is due to expire. Goble said Washington should move in the opposite direction. “My guess, given where the Trump administration is, is that they will simply be extended again,” Goble said. “I think sanctions should be reimposed or even strengthened.” Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.