Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking international attention for his suffering country.Image: DPA
June 7, 2026, 10:43 p.mJune 7, 2026, 10:43 p.m
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj presented his ideas for an early discussion with Russia about ending the war in an interview with the British broadcaster Sky News. There have already been several signals from Moscow about possible talks, but these have always fallen silent. “Sometimes you don’t understand what the Russians really want,” he said.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin “wants to win this terrible war,” but he recently realized that his troops had lost the initiative on the battlefield. All decisions about what happened next depended “100 percent” on him.
“We learned how to live and survive”
Regardless of Moscow’s plans, Ukraine continues to defend itself with new weapons. Even though Ukraine has received fewer weapons from the USA in over four years of war than were recently used in the Middle East, the country is not defenseless. “We learned how to live and survive,” said Zelensky. “We don’t just want to die in silence.”
“We have learned and produced in recent years,” he said of Ukraine’s new drone capabilities. “Now we are responding, against military targets and against energy objects,” emphasized Zelensky.
Regarding possible talks with Moscow about ending the war, Zelensky said he would welcome the participation of the USA and Europe. “But I am also ready for bilateral talks (with Putin),” he said. “And not in Moscow, not in Kiev and not in Minsk either.” However, the war must be ended in such a way that it cannot break out again “because of a few stupid people”.
He recently received the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in Kiev and gave him a message to Putin. However, the agreed confidentiality did not last long. “But Russians can’t stay quiet.” (sda/dpa)