Ukraine not asking for more weapons than is necessary to protect freedom - Zelensky
He stated this in an interview with the German newspaper Zeit, Ukrinform reports.
"We will hold out as long as we have to," Zelensky said, recalling that at first, many observers around the world believed that the Russian army would overrun Ukrainians in a very short time.
He noted that the efforts of Ukrainians in this war are aimed at protecting the whole of Europe, because Russia never wanted to limit itself to Ukraine.
"It's wiser for everyone in Europe to help us now so that we don't have to defend other nations later," he said.
At the same time, he noted that Ukraine "is not asking for more than is necessary to protect freedom."
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine pays for the imbalance of forces and the lack of artillery and MLRS with human lives. According to him, Russia is waging a very brutal war, using heavy weapons, long-range artillery, missiles, cruise missiles, in order to destroy everything in Ukraine - people, cities, infrastructure. Since the beginning of the war alone, 263 children have lost their lives as a result of Russian attacks, he said.
"To someone, my demand may sound like a never-ending loop, but I have to say it again and again: we need modern weapons. We need support to survive and win. And the less willing our partners are to help us with arms, the longer this war will last and the more people will die," Zelensky said.
He noted that if it were possible to simply purchase the necessary weapons, Ukraine would not have to spend weeks and months negotiating with its partners.
As for Germany, Zelensky evasively noted that "[arms] deliveries from Germany are still lower than they could be," and refused to criticize German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Asked why he first published data on Ukraine's losses on the Eastern Front on May 22, Zelensky said that people in Ukraine and around the world need to know the truth. "I also want the West to know how we feel when we see time and again how the transfer of necessary defense weapons is being delayed. If we had received all the modern weapons we requested from our partners, we could have saved many lives," he added.
The politician refuted some media reports about the poor supply of Ukrainian soldiers at the front and sinking morale, calling them part of the information war against Ukraine.
The high morale is evidenced by the fact that the people of Ukraine will not want to give up their territories, including Donbas and Crimea, even if Russia withdraws beyond the 2014 contact line, he said.
"Crimea is part of Ukraine, as are the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. This is recognized around the world. Of course, our people will not want to give up their territories," Zelensky said, adding that the Ukrainian government will be ready to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia at any time.
He recalled that Ukraine had offered genuine and substantive peace talks a number of times not just since February 24, but "how can there be peace if Russia is not ready for peace?"
Photo: President's Office
