Alperen Aktas
17 July 2025•Update: 17 July 2025
ISTANBUL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and US President Donald Trump share core values and leadership traits shaped by their outsider statuses and business backgrounds.
Speaking to the New York Post in Kyiv, Zelenskyy drew a like between himself and Trump. “We are the choice of our people … and we definitely share the same values with our people,” he said, referring to freedom, family and homeland.
“I think these are absolutely clear things. Our most important values, family things — I think the American people perceive it the same way, and that’s why the American people support Ukraine,” he added.
The 47-year-old former comedian and producer noted that like Trump, he did not come from a traditional political background.
“I don’t work in a linear way,” he said. “Sometimes you need to take a hit … It’s also very important to always be on your feet ... I don’t have a lot of bureaucratic experience in business, although I have been president for many years, but, nevertheless, I came from business, where you make decisions very quickly."
Zelenskyy highlighted that his approach to crisis and leadership relies heavily on speed and flexibility.
“You don’t look at bureaucratized processes, that can take months. It’s impossible to fight for yourself that way,” he said. “It is definitely impossible to stand and definitely impossible to win.”
He linked the mindset to Ukraine’s rapid defense transformation under his leadership, especially in the drone sector.
“We built a drone industry … outside of all bureaucratic formats,” he said, noting private sector involvement in defense rose from almost from zero to 70%.
The remarks came as relations between Kyiv and Washington continue to evolve under Trump’s presidency, with a focus on strategic cooperation and joint weapons production.
