In an interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky explained that foot dragging from allies who are providing arms and equipment to Ukraine “will lead to more lives lost.”
While the Biden administration recently made the decision to send cluster munitions to the country Russia illegally invaded, Ukraine is still seeking F-16 fighter jets and other equipment allies have not yet provided. Zelensky confirmed in the interview released Sunday that their procurement would allow the Ukrainians to move faster in their counteroffensive and save more lives as Russian war crimes mount.
Raddatz also asked Zelensky what he would say to members of the American public who say the U.S. has provided enough assistance to Ukraine.
“I would like to say thank you to all Americans for what you have done and I appreciate those who say you have done enough. Trust me, no matter what, I appreciate help whenever it comes,” said Zelensky. “When it comes to the word ‘enough,’ well we Ukrainians are not people known for excessive appetite. Our victory is enough for us. Honestly when we have enough for our victory, then it will be enough.”
The wide-ranging interview also allowed Zelensky to address the prospects for the war as well as the internal situation in Russia.
High-ranking Ukrainian military and civil officials have argued that the recently-begun counteroffensive can recover broad swathes of land. General Oleksandr Syrsky, chief of Ukraine’s ground forces, said the Russians are suffering troop losses that are 8 to 10 times higher and that the counteroffensive is only beginning. According to Zelensky, the territorial integrity of the country is paramount.
Responding to Donald Trump’s recent comments that he can resolve the war in 24 hours, Zelensky said: “It seems to me that the sole desire to bring the war to an end is beautiful, but this desire has to be based on real-life experiences.”
“It looks as if Donald Trump had already these 24 hours once…We were at war. Not a full-scale war, but we were at war,” said Zelensky. “If we are talking about ending the war at the cost of Ukraine, in other words to make us give up our territories, well I think in this way Biden could have brought it to an end even in 5 minutes, but we would not agree.”
Zelensky argued that if Ukraine were to achieve a breakthrough and reach the administrative borders of occupied Crimea, Russian president Vladimir Putin would be forced to seek dialogues because he’ll be weakened.
The Ukrainian president said that Putin has already shown he is weaker than he seems on account of the recent attempted mutiny from Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenaries. According to Zelensky, the incident demonstrated that Putin “doesn’t have military force inside Russia and his civilian population is not protected.” Additionally, there might be further unrest and even future mutinies within Russia, argued Zelensky.
Raddatz asked Zelensky whether he is concerned Russia will pursue extraordinary measures as it seeks to reinforce a flagging invasion. Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the Kakhovka dam and there are concerns Russia is planning a local explosion at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station.
“If they are going to lose more initiative than they have lost at the moment, they will make some additional steps in order to make the entire world be afraid of the global nuclear disaster and halt all military actions on the battlefield,” said Zelensky, adding that the appropriate Ukrainian institutions are working to prepare themselves for a nuclear disaster at Zaporizhzhia.
On NATO accession, Zelensky explained that Ukraine embodies NATO values.
“Ukraine has already got a place in the world for itself. We are now a country that is respected — a country that is really fighting for human values, for human rights, for freedom, for democracy — and everyone has already understood that it is exactly such a country [that] will be a valued NATO country partner with actually the strongest armed forces in Europe,” said Zelensky.
“After the war it will take some time,” said Zelensky of EU accession, which Ukrainians also overwhelmingly support. “We’ll make necessary changes to the legal framework in order to finally become an EU member state. I think that a country with such potential is more important for unity and what is more important is that we are really a democratic nation that is dying for that on the battlefield.”