Ukraine’s President issued a grave warning to Moscow officials on Thursday, advising them to locate their closest bomb shelters.
The remarks came during an Axios interview after Zelenskyy’s Wednesday speech to the UN General Assembly. He stated that he had obtained explicit authorization from former President Donald Trump to target Russian energy and infrastructure.
Furthermore, he mentioned asking the U.S. for a specific weapons system, asserting it would compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in talks, but he did not identify the system.
“Kremlin leaders must know the location of bomb shelters,” Zelenskyy declared. “They will require them. Should they persist with the conflict, they will need them regardless.”
“They need to understand that Ukraine will retaliate daily. Any attack on us will be met with a response,” he further stated.
Zelenskyy maintained a lack of specificity concerning the weapon system he had requested from the United States.
“President Trump is aware; I informed him yesterday of our singular requirement,” Zelenskyy conveyed to the publication.
“While we require it, its possession does not guarantee its deployment. I believe that having it would exert further pressure on Putin to convene discussions,” he explained.
The White House did not provide an immediate reply to a comment request from Digital.
The former president astonished the international community by altering his stance on the conflict in Ukraine, suggesting that Kyiv might be able to reclaim all territory seized by Russia.
“I believe that Ukraine, backed by the European Union, possesses the capacity to fight for and recover its entire territory to its original state,” he stated via social media on Tuesday.
“Given time, perseverance, and financial aid from Europe, especially NATO, restoring the initial borders that existed at the war’s outset is a very viable prospect,” Trump further commented. “Why shouldn’t it be?”
This perspective starkly contrasts with his position upon initially re-entering office, where he reportedly conveyed to Zelenskyy that Ukraine “[didn’t] have the cards” to challenge Russia and frequently intimated that Kyiv would require considerable concessions to cease hostilities.
Reporting for this article included contributions from Caitlin McFall.