Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN on Wednesday that he understands that the United States is currently focused on its own war in Iran, but that it is important to remember that the fighting continues in his country.
It is a “big risk” to think that efforts to end the war in Ukraine cannot be resumed until the conflict in the Middle East is over, said Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who wants to find a way for the situations to be managed in parallel.
The Ukrainian leader, who gave the interview from his presidential office in Kiev, said it was not an option to say “we will talk about (Ukraine) a little later”.
“Ukraine is not 'a little later'. Ukraine is already in such a great tragedy that we have to find a way to manage this in a parallel way,” he stressed.
Volodymyr Zelensky stated that technical talks are still taking place with the United States, but he does not “see an opportunity to meet… until the matter, the case of Iran, is closed.”
Zelenski also said it was a “challenge” that the same team of US negotiators, led by emissary Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, is leading both the Ukraine and Iran talks.
He also noted that the war in Iran is also disrupting key arms supplies for Ukraine, especially anti-ballistic missiles, which he said Ukraine does not get enough of because of limited US production capacity.
EU financial aid, a matter of “life and survival” for Ukraine
President Zelenskiy also talked about unlocking the EU's €90 billion loan for Ukraine, saying that getting the money was a matter of “life and survival” for his country.
Without these funds, he said, Ukraine would struggle to manufacture the amount of weaponry it is capable of producing.
He gave the example of drone interceptors, saying Ukraine currently produces about 1,000 units a day — even though it has the capacity to produce 2,000 a day. “But we don't have the funding. It's really a matter of life, survival, defense, we need this money badly,” he told CNN.
