It won’t break me, though.”Whether Nad is incarcerated for helping Ukraine or not, his predicament already shines a light on how leaders in a pocket of the continent are emerging to break unity with the European Union and NATO and offering Russian President Vladimir Putin convenient allies at a critical time.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he was open to discussions with US President Donald Trump on issues such as the Ukraine conflict and energy prices, and said it would be a good

"We want him (Trump) to be on the side of justice, on the side of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said in the interview aired on Tuesday night. "Putin is not afraid of Europe." Zelenskiy added Ukraine cannot recognize Russia's occupation, but it preferred a diplomatic resolution.

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.

In the past, the Russian president said that any peace deal should respect the “realities on the ground”, hinting that Moscow wants to keep all the territories it currently occupies in Ukraine.

Russian President Putin argues Ukrainian leader Zelensky lacks legitimacy to sign peace deals, citing expired presidential terms and a 2022 decree banning negotiations. Zelensky counters, accusing Putin of avoiding talks to prolong the war and dismissing Russia’s claims of his illegitimacy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said that his country could hold peace talks with Ukraine, ruling out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he described as illegitimate.