Zelenskyy Says ‘Putin Is Bluffing’ Ahead of Trump Summit

On Aug. 13, the German chancellor said Germany would help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that it could use to strike deep inside Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) is welcomed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz upon arrival in Berlin on Aug. 13, 2025. John MacDougall/AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Aug. 13 that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “bluffing” when he said sanctions were not hurting the Kremlin.

Zelenskyy was speaking after sitting in on a series of virtual meetings hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of the summit on Aug. 15 between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin.