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On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s relentless war against his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has a stark message: “Nobody is safe in the world.”
The observation comes as Russia continues to pound Ukraine nightly, targeting the country’s power grid and energy system with drones and missiles, and as the latest talks to try to negotiate a ceasefire were cut short with little progress.
Zelenskyy told Radio-Canada’s Céline Galipeau in a weekend interview in Kyiv ahead of the anniversary that it is more important now than ever that Ukraine’s allies not lose focus on the conflict — to continue with military aid and support for Kyiv, despite other tensions and conflicts in the world.
“Because Putin will not stop.”
Grateful to Canada
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for what Canada has done for Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.
Canada pledged in December to spend another $200 million on military equipment for Ukraine, the second time it bought equipment for Ukraine through an international mechanism set up by NATO. It made an initial pledge of $680 million last August.
“I’m very thankful personally to everybody who gave us support. It doesn’t matter big or small.” he said. “If we can count on continuation, we will be thankful, because the war is not yet finished.”
Ottawa also recently announced billions of dollars of investment into Canada’s defence industry and Zelenskyy says discussions with Prime Minister Mark Carney about shared interests have been positive.
“We understood each other from the first day. I’m very thankful for him.”
Corruption scandal
But allies have also expressed anger at Zelenskyy amid a $100-million US corruption scandal that could put continued financial aid at risk.
Kyiv has been mired in an alleged plot to control contracts at the state-owned nuclear company totalling tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks and laundered money. It came to light late last year as citizens were suffering blackouts caused by Russian bombs.
The country’s justice minister and energy minister both resigned their posts in November, though each denied wrongdoing. Zelenskyy’s own chief of staff resigned a few weeks later.
Though Zelenskyy wasn’t directly implicated in the scandal, it represents a major challenge for his government, as the leader was elected seven years ago largely on an anti-corruption message.
“Look, you live in a war period, you will have a lot of challenges,” he said. “And you will not finish today with [corruption], or tomorrow.”
He said what’s important is that there is the infrastructure in place to fight it.
“[The people] have to do their job. That’s it.”
But he said it’s important for the world not to stop supporting Ukraine, because they could be the next country to need help.
“We are stopping Putin now. We have to recognize reality.”
That reality, he says, is that Russia already has missiles that can travel 5,000 kilometres. He warned that in three years, that will be more like 10,000 kilometres.
“So if he can do it here, why he can’t do it in other countries?”
After four years of war, Radio-Canada’s Céline Galipeau asks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy if he thinks negotiations with Russia will work, what he is willing to compromise and who can really stop the fighting in Ukraine.
Under pressure
U.S. President Donald Trump came into office a year ago declaring he could end the war in one day. Since then, his government has brokered unsuccessful talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire, berated Zelenskyy in front of cameras in the Oval Office, and welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to the U.S. to great fanfare. Still, Zelenskyy believes Trump is the one who can help end the fighting.
“Politically, yes, because he is the president of the United States.”
The latest round of U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv ended with Zelenskyy accusing Russia of “trying to drag out negotiations” so that it can continue its attacks.
Deep political differences exist, including over the future of land in eastern Ukraine that is occupied by the Russian army and that Putin wants to keep, Zelenskyy said.
And Zelenskyy has been under pressure from Trump to cede territory Ukraine still holds, something Zelenskyy says he will not agree to do.
“We are ready for compromises … not about ultimatums from Russia,” he said.
“To withdraw without any kind of reasons, just to withdraw from our territory, our land, in our constitution — not only in our law, international law,” he said. “Just to withdraw … between us, it’s bullshit.”
But Zelenskyy is not convinced Putin is negotiating in good faith. He said Russia has to come to the table because Putin has to at least appear to the U.S. to be supportive of the effort, to show he supports dialogue and the notion of ending the war.
“But I think that they play games with President Trump. I think so. But it’s up to him to recognize it or not.”
For his part, and for his citizens’ part, Zelenskyy says he believes Ukrainians are willing to make some compromises to bring an end to the fighting, though he did not specify exactly what that could entail.
“I think that people are ready for any compromises in which they don’t lose dignity and independence of country.”
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