Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview released Sunday that he wants to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump to agree on a peace plan ahead of any negotiations with Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin.

The interview was given to American podcaster Lex Friedman at the end of December in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian president reiterated his expectation that Donald Trump could end the war. “I see now that when I talk about something with Donald Trump, either in person or on the phone, all the European leaders ask me ‘how did it go?’ This shows the influence of Donald Trump, and this has never happened before with an American president, in my experience,” Zelensky said. “It gives you confidence that he can end this war,” he added.

Volodymyr Zelensky has heaped praise on Donald Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20. The Republican tycoon’s victory in last November’s US presidential election raised doubts about Washington’s future support for Kiev, with Trump promising to end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours”.

For Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump’s claim was “not just words”, stressing that the Ukrainian people are counting on the future US president to force Russia to agree to a sustainable peace in Ukraine. “I really rely on him and I think our people really count on him,” the Ukrainian president said. “He has enough power to put pressure on (Russian President) Putin,” he stressed.