site.btaZelenskyy: It Is Good for EU to Have Large Military Arsenal and for Russia to Know It

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it is good for the European Union to have a large military arsenal, and for Russia to be aware of that. He was speaking on Thursday at a press conference in Brussels, where he took part in the European Council meeting.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has the capacity to produce three times more weapons but lacks the necessary financial resources. He called on EU leaders to find a mechanism that would allow frozen Russian assets, under EU sanctions to be transferred and used by Ukraine. The Russians must pay for the war, they are afraid of that, and of a possible EU decision regarding the frozen assets, he said. Zelenskyy added that EU leaders may be closer to a decision on using those assets.

Ukrainian long-range weapons are used by the army, the president explained. The question is how to secure additional funding to increase production. Ukraine has never used long-range weapons supplied by the United States to strike targets inside Russia, Zelenskyy said. Instead, other types of long-range weapons are used in areas of intense fighting. The eastern part of Ukraine and Crimea are Ukrainian territory. When such weapons are used in Crimea, they are not used against Russia, but against temporarily occupied Ukrainian lands, he added.

Asked about the result of his recent meeting in Washington with US President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy stated that sanctions were introduced afterward, the meeting in Hungary was not held without Ukraine, Kyiv did not receive Tomahawk missiles. Zelenskyy said that it was not a bad result. Asked whether he still hopes to receive Tomahawks, he replied that every day is different and he still does.

In response to a question about a possible peace plan, Zelenskyy said he was unaware of any such proposal. He added that no one wants a plan prepared in Russia. The idea is to prepare key points: first, there must be a ceasefire, and then there can be negotiations with Russia, if it wants them, he said. The first step should be talks instead of weapons, he added. The plan, Zelenskyy said, is to apply more pressure on Russia which will bring them to the negotiating table.

According to him, the idea of territorial exchange is unacceptable, because this is all Ukrainian territory. It’s like exchanging something for nothing. Ukraine would never accept any trade involving its own land, Zelenskyy added.