Zelenskyy: Putin is becoming weak and may intensify strikes

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned Ukrainians of a possible intensification of Russian strikes.

Source: Zelenskyy speaking to journalists

Quote: "Putin is becoming weak. He is weakening politically, on the battlefield and physically. And that is why he may intensify strikes against us, against our people, with missiles and drones. Please use shelters. I beg you, I really do."

Details: The president summed up the results of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting (also known as the Ramstein format), noting that Ukraine has received confirmation from nine countries regarding the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme, a US-NATO initiative under which European NATO allies purchase American weapons for Ukraine, amounting to Patriot missiles worth more than US$1 billion. The EU will also be tightening sanctions.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine's partners understand that the Kremlin leader has no intention of stopping and that all his talk of wanting peace is a lie.

At the same time, he noted that Ukraine is ready for negotiations in pursuit of peace, despite everything.

"Putin wants everything here to burn, and he is reckless – partners can sense this. Ukraine is ready for negotiations with him despite this," the president said.

Quote: "But Europe needs to fully engage so that we have a strong position. Fully engage in sanctions – without exceptions. On confiscation – without exceptions. And on funding for Ukraine as well."

Background:

• On 18 June, Ukrainian drones breached the layered air defence of the Russian capital and struck the Moscow oil refinery in Kapotnya, sparking a huge fire at the facility. Russian media outlets have described the attack as the largest in the past two years.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following the drone attack on Moscow that the Russian military would continue large-scale strikes on facilities which, in his words, are crucial to the combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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