We are very grateful to the United States for all the support. I’m thankful to President Trump, Congress for their bipartisan support, and American people. Ukrainians have always appreciated this support, especially during these three years of full-scale invasion.
America’s help has been vital in helping us survive, and I want to acknowledge that. Despite the tough dialogue, we remain strategic partners. But we need to be honest and direct with each other to truly understand our shared goals.
It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do. We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival.
As President Reagan once said, “Peace is not just the absence of war.” We’re talking about just and lasting peace—freedom, justice, and human rights for everyone. A ceasefire won’t work with Putin. He has broken ceasefires 25 times over the last ten years. A real peace is the only solution.
We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side.
I cannot change Ukraine’s position on Russia. The Russians are killing us. Russia is the enemy, and that’s the reality we face. Ukraine wants peace, but it must be a just and lasting peace. For that, we need to be strong at the negotiation table. Peace can only come when we know we have security guarantees, when our army is strong, and our partners are with us.
We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow.
It will be difficult without the U.S. support. But we can’t lose our will, our freedom, or our people. We’ve seen how Russians came to our homes and killed many people. Nobody wants another wave of occupation. If we cannot be accepted to NATO, we need some clear structure of security guarantees from our allies in the U.S.
Europe is ready for contingencies and to help fund our large army. We also need the U.S. role in defining security guarantees—what kind, what volume, and when. Once these guarantees are in place, we can talk with Russia, Europe, and the U.S. about diplomacy. War alone is too long, and we don’t have enough weapons to push them out entirely.
When someone talks about losses, every single life matters. Russia invaded our homes, killed our people, and tried to erase us. This isn’t just about territories or numbers—it’s about real lives. That’s what we need everyone to understand.
I want the U.S. to stand more firmly on our side. This is not just a war between our two countries; Russia brought this war onto our territory and into our homes. They are wrong because they disrespected our territorial integrity.
All Ukrainians want to hear a strong U.S. position on our side. It’s understandable the U.S. might look for dialogue with Putin. But the U.S. has always spoken about ‘peace through strength.’ And together we can take strong steps against Putin.
Our relationship with the American President is more than just two leaders; it’s a historic and solid bond between our peoples. That’s why I always begin with words of gratitude from our nation to the American nation.
American people helped save our people. Humans and human rights come first. We’re truly thankful. We want only strong relations with America, and I really hope we will have them.
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Today, no one but ourselves can guarantee security. Only strong alliances. Only strong partners, only our own weapons. The 21st century isn’t much different from the past. If a nation wants peace, it still has to work on weapons. It’s sick but real. Weapons decide who survives.
International law doesn’t work fully unless you have powerful friends willing to stand up for it. And even that doesn’t work without weapons. There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons. That’s why we invest in defense.
What can Sudan, Somalia, Palestine – any people living through war – really expect from the UN or the global system? For decades, just statements. Even everything happening in Gaza remains without a way out. Even now, Syria still has to appeal to the world to ease the sanctions choking its economy.
I addressed the UN Security Council. We must admit – the world’s attention to the UN is fading. The Organization has less influence, and too often there is a lack of real decisions on fundamental issues. The tools are not working now. But they will, if you are active.
I thank the Republic of Korea for this Security Council meeting and the chance to call for peace. Today there must be a clear call for peace. But here is one of the main distortions of our time: whom must we call to peace, and on whom must we press to achieve it?
One permanent member of this Council is doing everything to prolong the largest war in Europe since WWII. Russia does this with impunity using its veto power, buying influence, and keeping peace on hold.
At the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children Summit at the leaders’ level I said: this year we’ll introduce a resolution condemning child abduction and deportation. Forcibly taking children to re-educate for another nation is a crime. The UN must say this clearly.
I hope this format will bring progress in solving a very sensitive issue – the fate of Ukrainian children. Thousands are victims of Russia’s double crime: abducted and deported, and now tries to steal their culture, character, their bond with family, and their identity.
Maybe not everyone is a parent. But everyone knows how quickly children grow, how precious every moment is, how fragile their first steps in life can be. The greatest gift is a normal childhood. The lowest crime – replacing it with war and its cruelty. We need real results – the actual return of all abducted children.
Our counteroffensive operation in the Donetsk Region—Pokrovsk and Dobropillia sectors—continues. It was one of the most important axes for the Russians, but they failed to mount a full-scale offensive here. Our army is destroying their forces—inflicting heavy losses, taking POWs.
There will be new deep strikes in retaliation to Russia's actions. I held a Staff meeting today. Main topic—production of our weapons. We have clear understanding of volumes—what our army needs till the end of the year, for the next year, and what we need to have in stock.
Starting this year, we will cover the deficit in financing weapons production in particular through controlled exports of certain types of our weapons. Via such controlled exports, we will increase the production of drones for the front line.
On the battlefield situation: it remains difficult. It’s complicated because of the enemy numbers, the volume of drones, shifting technologies: today one kind of drone/EW line works; tomorrow drones and engines change, other EW lines work. What matters first: we control the front.
Claims that Russia is “advancing in the east” are misplaced. I heard this from many. Russia is better at disinformation than on the battlefield. Their advantage is in manpower numbers. Their strongest grouping is in the east, but they are in very difficult conditions.
What I heard – that the Russians are “advancing” and will occupy our east in three months – is simply not true. They won’t do it in years. I wish our partners’ intelligence services had daily consultations with the Ukrainian intel – directly from the battlefield.
Putin doesnʼt believe in Europe, America, the West. So he wages war. He believes in China, Iran, North Korea, seeks strategic treaties there. He bets money will corrupt everyone and buy indulgence. His plan: try to buy indulgence and continue the war. Question is: whoʼs buying?
When the envoy of President Trump is in Kyiv, there are no massive Russian air strikes. This doesnʼt work with representatives of other states or international organizations, even the UN, OSCE or IMF. Perhaps it would work with a representative of China, but it seems China is not interested in stopping – even if not the whole war – at least the strikes.
China has called for a ceasefire in this war. But Putin ignored it. That didn’t stop Beijing from hosting him with open arms and talking about what matters most – longevity. Russia also ignored India’s calls to end the war and its statements that our era is not the era of war. This applies to everyone else in the world.