The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated that during the war, the country needs a strong army, a strong president and a strong people, and that any pressure on the Ukrainian leadership will be met with a response. In an interview with the American television channel ABC News, broadcast on 23 October, the head of state also spoke of insufficient support from the US, a shortage of Patriot missiles and a willingness to cease hostilities along the current front line without recognising the occupied territories as Russian.<\/p>\n
During an interview with ABC News Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/strong> commented on the tensions in relations with the US President Donald Trump<\/strong> and explained his strong reaction to political pressure.<\/p>\n According to the Head of State, the current circumstances require the Ukrainian leadership to act decisively, even if such a stance does not always sit well with international partners.<\/p>\n \u00abUkraine cannot afford a weak president right now. Perhaps after the war \u2014 any president will do. But right now, if Ukraine is to survive, it needs a strong army, a strong president and a strong people,\u00bb Zelenskyy emphasised.<\/p>\n The President stated that he had no intention of letting the pressure on him go unanswered.<\/p>\n \u00abOtherwise, they\u2019ll eat us. I mean the Russians,\u00bb he explained.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy acknowledged that he can sometimes be less than diplomatic in his remarks, but emphasised the need to speak frankly with partners about problems.<\/p>\n A separate section of the interview was devoted to Ukraine\u2019s relations with the United States and the latest decisions by Donald Trump\u2019s administration.<\/p>\n When asked by a journalist whether he felt betrayed by his American partners, Zelenskyy did not use that term. At the same time, he acknowledged that he felt a lack of support.<\/p>\n Commenting on Trump\u2019s relationship with Vladimir Putin<\/strong>, the Ukrainian president noted that this was a personal choice on the part of the American leader. In his view, relations between the US and Russian presidents have developed quite well.<\/p>\n Despite their differences, Zelenskyy emphasised that he is grateful to the United States for its support of Ukraine and is keen to maintain the partnership.<\/p>\n He also emphasised that, when dealing with Trump, he tries to be straightforward and not hide his position.<\/p>\n One of the main topics of the interview was the shortage of interceptor missiles<\/a>\u00a0for air defence.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said that Over the last three months, Ukraine has received only 24 missiles from the United States<\/strong> for Patriot systems. At the same time, according to the President\u2019s assessment, the country needs an average of 350 such interceptors per month to provide effective defence against Russian attacks.<\/p>\nZelenskyy said that support from the US was insufficient<\/h2>\n
In 90 days, Ukraine has received just 24 Patriot missiles<\/h2>\n