CNN
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine is not willing to give up territory in the eastern part of the country to end the war with Russia, and that the Ukrainian army is prepared to fight Moscow’s troops in the Donbas region in a single battle. war that he said could affect the entire war. war.
Zelensky said in an exclusive interview Friday with CNN’s Jake Tapper from the presidential office in Kyiv that his country has no guarantee that Russia won’t try to take Kyiv again if it can. capture Donbas.
“This is why it is very important for us not to allow them, to stand our ground, because this battle… it can affect the course of the whole war,” Zelensky said. speak.
“Because I don’t trust the Russian military and its leadership,” he continued. “That is why we understand that the fact that we fought with them and they left, and they fled from Kyiv – from the north, from Chernihiv and from that direction – does not mean if they have a If they can’t capture Donbas, they won’t go any further towards Kyiv. ”
Zelensky’s interview with CNN on Friday, more than seven weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, comes as the Ukrainian military has seen successes in fending off the Russian offensive. surprised American intelligence – and the Kremlin planned quickly and decisively for victory.
At the same time, Ukraine was Terrible civilian casualties across the country in the middle of a fight. Zelensky told CNN that the world should prepare for the possibility of Putin using tactical nuclear weapons because he doesn’t value Ukrainian lives. Zelensky spoke in both Ukrainian and English about the horrors his country had witnessed and the urgent help his troops still needed to be equipped to withstand the onslaught. Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden said last week that the killings of civilians were carried out by Russian forces seems to have been exterminated.
“I have the same opinion as President Biden,” Zelensky said. “Look what happened in Bucha. Obviously it wasn’t a war, it was a genocide. They just killed someone. Not soldiers, people. They just shoot people on the street. People are riding bicycles, taking buses or just walking down the street. There were corpses scattered on the street. ”
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is diplomatically engaged to Putinsaid in response to Biden’s comments about genocide that he doesn’t think raising rhetoric is constructive. Zelensky said he spoke to Macron last week and wanted him to visit Ukraine to see first-hand the atrocities.
“I think he wants to take some steps to make sure that Russia is engaged in dialogue. I just told him that I wanted him to understand that this is not war, it is not genocide,” Zelensky said. “I invited him over when he got the chance. He’ll come see, and I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Zelensky said he also wants Biden to go to Ukraine. Last week, the US President suggested that he wanted to go, although he said that US officials were still “discussing” about whether a senior US official will visit Ukraine.
“I think he will,” Zelensky said of Biden when asked if the US President plans to visit. “I mean, of course it’s his decision. And also, safety depends – I mean – but I think he’s the leader of the United States, and that’s why he should come here to see.”
Zelensky was emotional about death caused by war in Ukraine, said it was “a great pain for me” to see the lives lost. Zelensky, who lost his family in the Holocaust, was asked what he thought of politicians around the world saying “never again” on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, based on what is happening in the land. England.
“I don’t trust the world,” he said, speaking in English. “We don’t believe those words. After Russia’s escalation, we don’t trust our neighbors. We don’t believe all of this.”
“The only faith there is faith in ourselves, in our people, faith in our Armed Forces, and faith that nations will support us not only with words but by their actions,” continued Zelensky in Ukrainian. “And that’s it. Never repeat. Really, everyone is talking about this, however, as you can see, not everyone has the guts.”
Zelensky said $800 million in additional funding Last week, Biden approved going to Ukraine to buy new and more advanced weapons that are very useful – but still need more.
“Of course, we need more than that. But I’m glad he’s helping us now,” Zelensky said. “I feel that right now we are having a clearer dialogue. It’s a dialogue that has some twists and turns. And not just talk. It was very, very difficult because there weren’t many countries that really helped us. ”
The most important factor, Zelensky said, is the speed at which the necessary weapons get into the hands of Ukrainian forces. He dismissed some concerns raised by the United States and other countries that Ukrainian soldiers are not trained to use some of the weapons that the country requires.
“There are people who are offering solutions, but it seems like they are just serving themselves. So it doesn’t exactly depend on us,” Zelensky said. “We are prepared to use any kind of equipment, but it needs to be delivered very quickly. And we have the ability to learn how to use new equipment. But it needs to come quickly.”
Zelensky said he was prepared to engage with Russia diplomatically to try to end the war, but Russia’s attack on the Ukrainians made it harder to do so.
“Like I said before, what is the price of all this? That is human. Many people were killed. And who is paying for all of this? That is Ukraine. Just us,” Zelensky said. “So for us, this is a really big expense. If we have a chance to speak, we will. But just talking under a Russian ultimatum? Then there is the question of attitude towards us, not about whether the dialogue is ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ It is not possible.”
Acknowledging that he still had targets behind him from the Kremlin as the war raged, Zelensky was asked how he would like to be remembered.
“A person who loves life to the fullest,” he replied. “And love my family and love my hometown. Definitely not a hero. I want people to see me as I am. An ordinary person. ”
This story has been updated with additional details.
