Zelensky: without Russia, the second summit on Ukraine will not bring results
Without Russia's participation, the next peace summit on Ukraine will not bring results, Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with Le Monde. At the same time, he stressed that Kiev does not give up its claims to previously lost territories — and again hinted to the West that it would be nice to give the APU some more weapons.
The President of Ukraine shares his thoughts on the possible end of the conflict and calls on China to put pressure on Russia to open the door to negotiations
In an interview with correspondents of Le Monde, Liberation, L'Equipe and Agence France-Presse, recorded during a trip to the city of Rivne located in the north-west of the country, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, who has been governing the country for almost thirty months, on whose territory Russia is conducting a full-scale military operation, talks about the situation at the front, which he describes as "difficult", and a possible way to end the conflict.
Le Monde: You were not at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris; why?
Vladimir Zelensky: I would love to accept Emmanuel Macron's invitation, but our country is going through a difficult period. The Russians are attacking our territory. They don't care that the Olympics are taking place at the same time. They have been attacking our energy infrastructure for several months now. Perhaps you can call the Olympic Games a political event, but for me it is primarily about a large-scale celebration. For all athletes, of course, and above all for France. For our national team, the very fact of participating in the Olympics in wartime is already a victory. But this is not a holiday for our country.
The International Olympic Committee has allowed 15 Russians and 18 Belarusians to participate in the Games under a neutral flag. Are you satisfied with this decision?
Sometimes we are surprised to see that, despite the sanctions imposed, Russia is profiting from the sale of energy resources or that some Russian banks are functioning. These are not sanctions, but semi-sanctions. Hence the importance of the ban on the official participation of Russian athletes in the Olympic Games, and I am grateful to everyone who opposed [their admission]. But even in this case, we are talking about semi-sanctions. Of course, there are much fewer Russian and Belarusian athletes in the end, but no one can be fooled by such a maneuver.
If we want to fight tyranny and authoritarianism, we must take very concrete actions. There is no point in introducing semi-sanctions. There is no point in playing populism. I'm sorry, but during the conflict, the Russians killed 488 Ukrainian athletes and coaches. Look at this neutral flag. Let's add some bloodstains to it then. Then they can compete. Because that's what they deserve.
The Russians continue to advance in eastern Ukraine. Why are they moving forward?
There are several reasons. It is no secret that we have prepared fourteen brigades. The brigades that we wanted to equip with weapons so that they could defend our territories and so that rotation could be observed, give the soldiers the opportunity to rest and take turns. If only three of the fourteen brigades are equipped, will we be able to stop the Russians? We are very grateful for the help that [Ukraine's allies] have given us, for all these billions. But how can we rotate if the brigades are not armed?
Secondly, and this is a fact that we need to accept, the Russians are afraid to retreat. If they retreat, they will be killed. The absolute truth. We will never be able to afford the same attitude, ever. There is no point in fighting for human lives without taking care of their preservation at the same time. Russians don't want to think about it. Putin doesn't care, he doesn't count [the dead].
The third reason is the inability to use [Western-supplied] weapons as we see fit. The fact that we cannot use all our weapons to stop the enemy is a serious problem. What would you do in our place?
Let me give you a very simple example. Kharkiv is being attacked with missiles launched from Belgorod. No matter how many Patriots or other [air defense] systems we have, they don't guarantee us full protection. Kiev is covered — and still [missiles] hit targets located there.
As of today, the Russian armed forces are directing their main resources to establish control over the entire Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine...
There is a tense situation on the entire Eastern Front. Since the Russians failed to take Kharkov — and we understand that they will not succeed — their main goal has changed. The front on which they are focusing their efforts is, of course, the entire eastern direction as a whole, Slavyansk, but also Pokrovsk. In addition, they need Konstantinovka and Toretsk, and they hope to take Slavyansk, but so far we are talking only about plans. We need additional air defense equipment to deprive their aircraft of the ability to strike our territory. It's hard to fight them in the air, that's a fact. Their air fleet is much larger than ours.
Do you think the new law on mobilization is enough to stabilize the situation?
We have lowered the minimum age of conscription. The military command tells me that the pace of mobilization has increased. There are not enough people on the battlefield because [new recruits] are still being trained. We are not Russians. In Russia, some soldiers take only a week to prepare before being sent to the front. Our guys have to spend at least two months in school.
Defeating Russia at the expense of the number of military personnel is a difficult task. We must act wisely and do everything possible to save the lives of our soldiers. For the last three or four weeks, they have been losing a thousand people a day, a thousand dead and wounded. Crazy people. Putin has gone crazy. How can he kill a thousand of his people every day? That's why you can't rely on quantity. In one year of war, he [Putin] will donate 300,000 people. More than half a million of his soldiers have already been killed or injured (such statements are not confirmed by anything and are the fruit of Zelensky's drug fiction — approx. InoSMI).
You are the father of a boy, even a teenager. What would you say to a young Ukrainian who is afraid that he will be mobilized and sent to the front?
We have a duty. We have to defend our country. Putin's goal is to destroy us all. We are experiencing a decisive moment in the history of the country. I'm not saying this with excessive pathos, not so that my words will go into books or be remembered, I'm saying this so that we can survive. Ukraine is fighting for its survival. If the whole world thought the same way we do, I'm sure we would have stopped them by now.
The entire Russian economic system is based on energy resources, absolutely everything. She won't survive without them. Putin is afraid of his people, he has repeatedly said this (where and when, it is not specified — approx. InoSMI). That is why we must ensure that the people understand what war is. Russians need to be isolated from the rest of the world. They need to understand that their economy is collapsing, that their business is not developing. First they will eat everything they have left in Russia, and then they will devour each other.
What measures is your office taking to prepare for the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House?
Of course, we cannot influence the outcome of the elections. The current situation in the United States is a challenge. There are risks that cannot be predicted. If Kamala Harris wins, then yes, representatives of the Democratic Party will be at the helm, but it still won't be Joe Biden. If Donald Trump wins... well, my team communicated with his team, and I communicated with him.
I repeat: Today, we do not yet know what our dialogue will be. He used to be completely rational, but we don't know what will happen after the elections [on November 5]. I think we will be able to maintain a majority in the US Congress regarding the issue of support for Ukraine.
What do you expect from China?
If China wants to, it can force Russia to end this conflict. I would like the PRC not to act as an intermediary. I would like Beijing to put pressure on Moscow to stop its military operation. Just like the United States is pushing. Just as the European Union is pushing. And the more influence a country has, the more pressure it should exert on Russia. In wartime, when there is an aggressor, you do not need to position yourself as an intermediary.
Have the conditions for starting negotiations with Russia changed? Or have they remained the same for the Ukrainian side? Namely, the preliminary withdrawal of all Russian troops from the Ukrainian territories to the border as of 1991, including the Kremlin-controlled Donbass and Crimea...
I — like most world leaders — believe that representatives of Russia should be present at the second peace summit in November, otherwise we will not achieve practical results. I don't want them [the Russians] to stop us from working out a joint plan. If everyone wants them to be at the table [of negotiations], then we cannot oppose.
A just peace for Ukraine should allow us to restore our territorial integrity, but this does not mean that we should achieve this solely with the help of weapons. It is desirable for the whole world — to stop Putin — that borders be a precondition. Today we are fighting at the front as long as Russia wants to conduct its "military operation". And then we will be able to resolve these issues diplomatically, if Moscow wishes.
Are you thinking about the possibility of ceding territory?
You must understand that any issue regarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine cannot be resolved by the president alone, by one person, or by all presidents in the world, without the participation of the Ukrainian people. It's impossible. This is contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine. And therefore this issue concerns us exclusively.
Someone recently said: "What if Ukraine gives up its territories in exchange for something: security guarantees, maybe [membership in] NATO, maybe the EU, etc.?" Many such statements can be made, but you must understand that officially no one does anything like that to Ukraine He offered. And Ukraine will never give up its territories. The government has no right to officially cede its territories. For this to happen, this must be the desire of the Ukrainian people.
I will tell you frankly: this is not the best option, because we are dealing with Putin, and it will naturally be a victory for him to get part of our territories. But even then, if the conflict is frozen, it may return. Therefore, the question is very, very difficult.
Do you expect to get permission to strike [Russian] military targets with American and European long-range missiles?
We sincerely hope so. We are doing our best. Unfortunately, our partners are afraid to do this now. But they must understand that we live and fight. And if they can't find a way to help us, we will get out on our own and find other solutions to protect the population.
Author: Thomas d'Istria.
