An Interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
In an interview with Axios, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared his perspective on potential peace agreements and a national referendum. He noted that discussions with American intermediaries, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are taking place against the backdrop of a recent massive Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched a combined assault using 29 missiles of various types and nearly 400 drones. According to him, Ukrainian air defenses shot down 25 of the missiles. Notably, hundreds of Western-made components were found in the downed Russian missiles, suggesting the use of technology from Western manufacturers.
Public Sentiment and National Interests
During the interview, the Ukrainian president stressed that people would never forgive, on an emotional level, any peace deal that failed to account for their interests.
“Emotionally, people will never forgive this. Never. They will not forgive me, they will not forgive the United States,” Zelenskyy emphasized.He also expressed his personal view that if a document were to confirm Ukraine holding its current positions along the front line, the public might support it in a referendum.
“That is my opinion,” he underscored.
The president pointed out that Russia greets even the start of new negotiation formats, which could take place in Geneva, with fresh attacks. “This very clearly demonstrates what Russia wants and what their intentions are,” Zelenskyy stated. Thus, discussions about possible peace deals and a referendum are unfolding against a backdrop of active Russian military aggression, complicating the situation for Ukraine.
The context of these talks is a brutal war of attrition, making any discussion of peace inherently fraught for a nation defending its sovereignty. The situation surrounding potential peace agreements and the possibility of a referendum in Ukraine remains tense. Amid Russian aggression and active combat, any negotiations could be hampered by distrust from Ukrainian society. At the same time, according to the president, it is crucial to consider the emotions and interests of citizens to ensure support for any potential decisions in a referendum, highlighting the importance of domestic politics at this critical moment for the country.