Kyiv, Feb. 25 -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a high-stakes appeal this week to US President Donald Trump, calling on him to keep the United States firmly aligned with Ukraine as its war against Russia stretches into its fifth year and the Russian invasion's fourth anniversary approaches.

Zelenskyy's remarks, made during an interview in Kyiv, signal both frustration and urgency as peace talks remain stalled and Kyiv seeks stronger guarantees from its Western partners.

At the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, Zelenskyy told CNN he wants Trump "to stay on our side," arguing that the US -- as "a democratic country which is fighting against one person" -- has an outsized role in shaping the conflict's outcome. "They have to stay w...