Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke frankly about what Western partners are actually demanding from Kyiv and explained why the US is not rushing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine.
As reported by Hvylya, the head of state made these statements while speaking to journalists on Saturday, March 28.
Commenting on accusations by US Senator Marco Rubio that Ukraine is allegedly lying about US demands to withdraw troops from the Donbas, Zelensky emphasized that his words were entirely truthful. He explained that Washington is considering security guarantees only after a complete end to hostilities and the fulfillment of this condition.
"We would like to get them before the war ends, but we were told no. I said this wouldn't work," the president admitted.
He added that everyone perfectly understands who the aggressor is in this situation and who is pressuring whom, even if it is not necessarily said out loud. "You know how they say, most of the iceberg is unseen. Well, believe me, I showed the smaller part. I am speaking absolutely frankly," Zelensky stressed.
According to the head of state, while Ukraine is fighting heavy battles, ten interceptor missile factories have been simultaneously built around the world behind its back.
The president separately touched upon the Middle East. He categorically denied rumors that Ukrainian troops might be sent to fight in other regions under an agreement with the UAE. According to him, Ukraine has more than enough with its own war. He also dismissed reports of alleged strikes against Ukrainians in the Middle East as Russian disinformation, noting that "Russians are up to their usual tricks" and nothing of the sort happened.
Zelensky also warned that Russia is already passing intelligence on targets in other countries to Iran for future strikes. Meanwhile, sanctions on the Russian Federation itself are concurrently being lifted, which, according to the president, does not deter but only encourages the aggressor. As for American weapons, they are not currently being redirected from Ukraine to the Middle East, but the future situation will depend on the duration of the war.
Finally, the head of state shared important news for the front: he managed to negotiate a stable fuel supply for the army for an entire year. Every month, Ukraine will receive about 700,000 tons of diesel and gasoline, totaling more than 7 million tons per year.