Q: Putin said he will meet you if you come to Moscow.
Zelenskyy: He can come to Kyiv. I can’t go to Moscow when my country is under daily missile attacks. Putin just plays games to delay meetings. We can’t trust him — he even plays games with the US.
1/
Q: Do you think the possibility for a bilateral meeting is dead?
Zelenskyy: No. I told President Trump I’m ready for any meeting — bilateral or trilateral — but not in Russia. First ceasefire, then talks on security guarantees. I thank the US for joining those guarantees.
2/
Zelenskyy: We need pressure from the US. President Trump. Some Europeans keep buying Russian oil and gas. That must stop. Energy is Putin’s weapon. The White House has the power to take it away. 3/
Q: Did sanctions backfire after Modi met Putin, with Trump saying India and China went to the dark side?
Zelenskyy: No. I think tariffs on countries that keep making deals with Russia is the right idea.
4/
Q: What did you think when you saw Putin on the red carpet at the Alaska summit talking about Ukraine?
Zelenskyy: It was a pity Ukraine was not there. Trump gave Putin what he wanted — a meeting with the US president. Putin wants those images to show everyone.
5/
Q: Will European security guarantees mean thousands of troops, not US?
Zelenskyy: Any guarantees start with a strong Ukrainian army. Then US weapons — Patriots, long-range missiles, HIMARS — which only America has. EU and US generals understand this.
6/
Q: How about air support?
Zelenskyy: We need an air defense shield — not only systems but also jets. We use old F-16s, but they work. Better than nothing. We are thankful for everything.
7/
Q: Are you 100% confident the Trump administration will see you through to peace?
Zelenskyy: No. I think President Trump wants to finish this war and he can do it. But real peace means no new aggression in 6 months, a year, or 2 years. It must be lasting, with security.
8/
Q: What does victory look like in Ukraine?
Zelenskyy: Putin’s goal is to occupy Ukraine and destroy us. He failed. We still have our country. For him, victory is total occupation. For us, victory is survival — keeping our land, our identity, our independence.
9X
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