Eu Day Light

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the potential impact of the US elections on Ukraine, the ongoing war with Russia and the Taurus missiles requested from Germany in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF.

Commenting on what the US election results could mean for Ukraine, Zelensky said that during their election campaign, Democrats had indicated that they would focus on the war in Europe and support for Ukraine. Emphasizing that Ukraine values support from both Democrats and Republicans in the United States, Zelensky noted that some ties between the US and Europe had weakened over the past two years and that this alliance was critical to stopping Putin.

Zelensky stated that it would be a positive development if the US Congress considered providing substantial financial support to Ukraine or increasing weapons supplies. He said such support could prompt Putin to question the purpose of continuing the war and help bring potential negotiations and peace closer.

Addressing developments following Russia's annexation of Crimea, Zelensky said that Europe and the United States had called for avoiding escalation at the time, but that Ukraine had consequently lost Crimea and subsequently part of Donbas.

Zelensky noted that assistance to Ukraine arrived after the full-scale invasion began, but only after Russia had occupied part of Ukrainian territory for eight years. He argued that Putin had no intention of returning the territories he had occupied.

Zelensky said he believed that withdrawing from Donbas would encourage Russia to advance further. He recalled that at the beginning of the war, Russia had not targeted only Donbas but had also advanced toward the capital, Kyiv, and seized parts of the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Kharkiv regions.

Emphasizing that Ukraine would do everything possible to bring the war to an end, Zelensky stated that this must happen in a way that preserves the country's dignity.

Commenting on Taurus missiles, Zelensky explained that Ukraine had requested them from Germany to enable strikes against Russian missile launch sites. He noted that Ukraine's options were limited during periods when the United States was unable to provide ballistic missile interceptors for air defense, making Taurus missiles important in this regard.

Zelensky stated that German-made IRIS-T air defense systems have played an important role in the war. He noted that Ukraine had contributed to improving these systems by helping address shortcomings identified during their use on the battlefield.

Zelensky also said that the war had economic consequences for Germany's defense industry, noting that orders for IRIS-T systems had reached levels covering a period of 10 to 20 years, supporting employment. He stated that Ukraine wanted not only to receive Taurus missiles but also to test them in battlefield conditions, arguing that this would benefit both sides.