is 鈥渟trong and unpredictable,鈥� and those qualities can be a decisive factor in his policy approach to Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

However, Zelenskyy said it won鈥檛 be possible to end the in one day, as Trump claimed during his election campaign that he could do.

鈥淭he 鈥榟ot鈥� stage of the war can end quite quickly, if Trump is strong in his position,鈥� Zelenskyy said in a Ukrainian television interview late Thursday, referring to fighting on the battlefield.

鈥淚 believe (Trump) is strong and unpredictable. I would very much like President Trump鈥檚 unpredictability to be directed primarily toward the Russian Federation,鈥� Zelenskyy said.

Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, hasn鈥檛 publicly fleshed out his policy on Ukraine, but his previous comments have put a question mark over whether the United States will continue to be Ukraine鈥檚 biggest 鈥� and most important 鈥� military backer.

Zelenskyy is eager to guarantee that Washington鈥檚 support keeps coming, and in New York even before the U.S. presidential election in November.

With the war about to enter its fourth year next month, and with Trump coming to power, the question of how and when Europe鈥檚 biggest conflict since World War II might end has come to the fore.

Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, and capitalized last year on weaknesses in Ukraine鈥檚 defenses to despite high losses of troops and equipment. The war鈥檚 trajectory isn鈥檛 in Ukraine鈥檚 favor. The country is shorthanded on the front line and needs continued support from its Western partners.

Trump responded favorably to the possibility raised by French President Emmanuel Macron of in Ukraine to oversee an agreement that stops the fighting, Zelenskyy said. He met with Trump and Macron in Paris last month.

鈥淏ut I raised an issue, saying we didn鈥檛 hear what specific countries will join this initiative, and whether the U.S. will be there,鈥� Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader is determined for his country to become a NATO member. The alliance鈥檚 32 member countries say that , but not until the war ends.

鈥淭he deployment of European troops (to keep the peace in Ukraine) should not rule out Ukraine鈥檚 future in NATO,鈥� Zelenskyy said in the television interview.

Zelenskyy described the into Russia鈥檚 Kursk border region as a 鈥渧ery strong trump card鈥� in any future peace negotiations.

In a bid to counter glum news from the front line, Ukraine seized part of Kursk last August in what was the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II.

But the incursion didn鈥檛 significantly change the dynamic of the war, and military analysts say Ukraine has lost around 40% of the land it initially captured.

Nevertheless, Zelenskyy said that the achievement impressed countries in Asia, South America and Africa, and tarnished Russia鈥檚 military reputation.