Ukraine is ready to compromise to achieve peace, but until then it needs air defenses against Russia. This was underlined by President Volodymyr Zelenky, interviewed by La Stampa.
«We need missiles», he said, «we are preparing the Freyja program and I hope that the United States will support it. We are carrying out a negotiation with the Europeans that must lead to fair and lasting results, but until then we need the American packages for anti-missile defense.”
Zelensky has announced a meeting soon with American President Donald Trump. «I plan to meet Trump around the 20th of this month and I also want to raise this issue. I hope we will have a result.” A three-way Kiev-Moscow-Washington summit is also possible: «We are moving towards a trilateral format, but I cannot reveal the details: we have agreed with the Americans to work internally first and then communicate publicly».
As for the recent negotiations, according to the leader, the stop in Kiev by the American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, before the story, “is not just a sign of political support, it shows that Ukraine is stronger on the field and therefore also at the negotiating table”. On the merits, he assured, «we are ready to compromise, but both sides must make progress. It cannot always be Ukraine that gives in: we have already made many compromises.”
The interview also touched on the chapter Mykhailo Fedorov, the former Defense Minister sacked by Zelensky amidst many controversies and who has now become a consultant to Minister Guido Crosetto. “I haven’t seen him for a while, he hasn’t been heard from around here for a while,” Zelensky replied.