Zelenskyy: Ukraine now has cards and everyone understands it
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine now "has cards" thanks to Ukrainian soldiers and defence production that has expanded since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Irish blogger Caolan Robertson, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine
Details: In the interview, Zelenskyy commented on the fact that the US had turned to Ukraine rather than to France or Germany and also "turned down the UK's aircraft carrier".
Asked how he feels about the situation, Zelenskyy replied: "Good."
Quote: "Now it's because of our soldiers, great people and a lot of different production which we increased from the very beginning of the [full-scale] war. Now we have the high level."
"The Americans asked us and, of course, I'm proud that we can help American partners."
Details: Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has "cards" that it had not previously shown.
Quote: "I think that one year ago I also had it. We didn't show it. But now everybody understands that we have."
Details: Zelenskyy believes that peace for Ukraine will depend on whether allies are ready to provide support and how quickly steps can be taken in the war and how fast that support will be implemented.
Quote: "It's like with this alarm, when you have missiles and when you have Shaheds, if you don't have quick steps on how to defend, you will be destroyed. So the same about this war, the same about Putin, you need to stop him quickly. Steps. This is what you need."
Details: Zelenskyy also said the international community is not ready for a World War lll.
Quote: "Not enough prepared Europe. Only some countries. Yes, they're on the way. For example, Germans are very quick, but it's not enough. It's not enough time to be prepared this year for such challenges. The Nordic countries are also very technological countries. I mean, in Northern Europe, they are prepared. In the United States, definitely everyone has said that the army is very strong. But we have to understand one thing. With all respect to the American army... if we speak about missiles war and drone war, it's not about the land war.
So nobody has now experience with the land forces that we have. We are very happy that we have this experience. A lot of human losses, no, it's not about happiness, it's about real experience because Russia attacked us.
But this is about land war and this is very dangerous: new technologies, new war, new attitude to the people, I mean civilians, and that's why I think the world is not ready for the world war because world war will not be just drones and missiles in any way. It will be with the land forces with land offensive steps and a global number of losses."
Background:
- In January, US President Donald Trump said he is the only trump card Zelenskyy has and that without him there would have been a "total disaster".
- At the time, Trump said: "Well, he doesn't have the cards. He didn't – he didn't have the cards from Day 1 [of Russia's full-scale invasion – ed.]."
- In the same interview, Trump also said he was ready to assume commitments regarding US participation in future security guarantees for Ukraine because he believed that Russia would not attempt another invasion.
- On 20 February 2025, Trump said that Russia "has the cards" in potential peace talks to end the war, as Russia "has taken a lot of territory".
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!