Volodymyr Zelensky is in a tough spot. The Ukrainian President has been made a pawn piece by the Democrats over the past few years, first to attack President Donald Trump over his call to Zelensky regarding Joe Biden’s intervention in Ukraine. Now, he’s having to deal with less than perfect support from Joe Biden that seems to greenlight Russian aggression, and not backing the Ukrainian position on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

But more than that, there seems to be a basic disagreement on the nature of the threat to Ukraine from Russia.

I reported Thursday night on the call between the two leaders that CNN said did not go well, with Biden making dire claims about the threat, and Zelensky not agreeing. Both the White House and the Ukrainians disputed the claim that the call did not go well. Then Joe Biden released a picture of the call but as we noted, that was raising questions because there appeared to be trees in full bloom outside the window, and D.C. is in the middle of winter.

But on Friday, Zelensky made it very clear that he had disagreed with Biden on the nature of the threat, and he rebuked Biden’s fear-mongering, saying that he, Zelensky, should know better what’s going on than Biden.

BREAKING: President Zelensky slams Biden after Botched Call

“I am the President of Ukraine. I am based here. I think I know the details better.” pic.twitter.com/Nw3jrRtV4K

— Release The Poso (@JackPosobiec) January 28, 2022

“I am the President of Ukraine. I am based here. I think I know the details deeper than any other president,” Zelensky said.

Journalist Christopher Miller further expanded on what Zelensky had said on the issue in the press conference.

Zelensky on talks with Biden and Russian threat assessment: It’s important that the president should know the situation from me, not intermediaries. He knows the situation from me personally. We’ll have another conversation in a couple weeks.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 28, 2022

Zelensky: It’s important not to get information based on intelligence gathering. It’s important to be here.

I don’t think the situation is more intense than in 2014.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 28, 2022

Zelensky is saying: yes, there’s a threat, but he doesn’t think the threat is any worse than 2014.

Zelensky: Do we have tanks on the streets? No. When you read media, you get the image that we have troops in the city, people fleeing…That’s not the case. But I’m not saying escalation is excluded. Escalation already happened. Part of our country is already temporarily occupied

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 28, 2022

Zelensky on the Russian threat getting closer to what the US is saying. But his point is that the threat has been here since 2014. “The threat is imminent. The threat is constant.”

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 28, 2022

He’s saying he doesn’t want to be a pawn in a kicking contest between Biden and Putin.

Zelensky: I don’t want Ukraine to be a result between president Biden and President Putin. President Biden assured me that nothing will be decided behind Ukraine’s back about the destiny and future about our country. pic.twitter.com/cViLSSR86U

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) January 28, 2022

So, how real is the threat? There are more than 100,000 troops perched on their doorstep. Russia has moved troops into places like Belarus. Zelensky does have to say things to calm his people and keep things in check. But at the same time, he’s telling Biden: stop ramping up the fear porn because it’s only making things worse and panicking people.

So, that part of the CNN report — that Zelensky wants Biden to calm his jets on the hyping the threat — seems to be very true.