Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that his recent appeals to the leaders of the US and Russia have yielded the expected results. He made this statement at a joint press conference with the heads of the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Letter to Donald Trump: shifting the focus
Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the strategy behind his appeal to the American politician. The main goal was to shift Washington's attention from the problems in the Middle East to the situation in Ukraine. The President emphasized that his country critically needs additional air defense systems.
"I cannot share all the details with you, but my state needs a very significant amount of anti-ballistic capabilities. I got the result, but I cannot share now what that result was," the head of state noted.
Appeal to the Russian leader
In addition to contacts with the US, Zelenskyy confirmed sending a letter to the Russian leader. He also stated that he achieved the necessary result from this step, although he did not disclose the details of the communication.
Recall that on June 4, the Ukrainian President published an open appeal, in which he expressed his readiness to end the conflict through direct negotiations. In response, the Russian leader criticized the tone of the letter, noting "elements of rudeness" in it, and rejected the proposal for a personal meeting, considering it meaningless.
Context and reasons for the steps
The initiative with the letters arose against the backdrop of a worsening security situation. On May 27, Zelenskyy had already appealed to the US Congress and Donald Trump, warning of a shortage of air defense funds and the threat to the civilian population due to intensified shelling by ballistic missiles. According to the President, the situation requires an immediate response, especially in the run-up to the winter period.