Mediation alone may not be enough to stop the conflict, Zelensky said in a post on X that shared excerpts of his interview with CNN. “I think President Trump, President Xi, Prime Minister Modi and other important figures around the world have to tell Putin that he has to stop this war. They cannot tell Ukraine ‘you have to stop the war’. We are defending. We are not the aggressor,” he said.He also questioned the effectiveness of neutral mediation, saying, “If you mediate, he won’t feel guilty… If we really want to stop him, I’m not sure powerful countries can act as mediators.”
‘Global pressure is needed, not compromise’
Zelensky stressed that ending the war requires unified pressure from the international community, rather than dialogue based on compromise. “We must come together to stop Putin. What does it mean to be a great leader? It means using diplomacy to stop wars,” he said. He further noted that the presence of foreign troops on the front lines could act as a deterrent against future Russian aggression, warning that without such measures, “no words can stop Putin.”
Ukraine expands defense ties in Middle East
In a separate post, Zelensky highlighted Ukraine’s growing defense partnerships, announcing agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on drone cooperation.“We signed three large security documents… which will translate into many different contracts,” he said, adding that Ukraine was providing expertise, training missions and cost-effective drone systems.He noted that cheaper interceptors could counter expensive attack drones, saying: “They’re going to use a $10,000 interceptor instead of a $3-4 million missile to destroy it.”Zelensky’s comments come amid concerns that rising tensions in the Middle East could affect Ukraine’s access to key defense systems. He warned that a protracted conflict involving Iran could put U.S. military aid programs at risk, particularly anti-missile systems.Still, he expressed gratitude for U.S. support and said Ukraine was also willing to share its defense innovations with the United States.
