Ukraine paid allies for 200 air-defense missiles but has yet to receive ‘a single one,’ Zelensky says. ‘The applause for what we’re achieving in Crimea isn’t enough.’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to journalists on Thursday in Kyiv, standing amid rubble from overnight Russian strikes on the city. At least 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded, according to Ukrainian officials, with the death toll expected to rise. NovynyLIVE, a Ukrainian news outlet, published several videos of Zelensky’s remarks on Telegram. Meduza transcribed and translated them below.

On Russian ballistic missile strikes and Ukraine’s shortage of air defense

President Volodymyr Zelensky: To shoot down 70 ballistic missiles, you need at least 140 — well, that’s the most conservative estimate. And we simply don’t have that many missiles. That’s it. Seventy-four missiles in the course of a single attack. We’re not talking only about today’s — these are both ballistic and cruise missiles. You’re not going to shoot down cruise missiles with anti-drone systems anyway. You still need air defenses to shoot them down. Of course, we have a large number of different air defense systems that can shoot down cruise missiles, but even so…

It’s obvious that he [Putin] will only escalate strikes on Ukraine, especially with ballistic missiles. We see that, unfortunately, with every strike, there are more of these missiles. We need an appropriate protective package. We need these missiles. We are pushing as hard as we can, and we are negotiating.

There are countries we’ve reached agreements with, countries we’ve already paid — for example, with Norway. I won’t say where else, but there’s a commitment to pay for 200 missiles. And of those 200 missiles, not a single one has arrived.

On allies’ promises

Zelensky: If our partners had delivered on time what they promised, I think we could have preserved the number of homes and — I’ll say it plainly — and lives. And that’s a major problem. We are not going to discuss or disclose details of supplies right now. I believe this is a serious problem tied to our partners. On one hand, there is major support, and we’re grateful for it. But on the other hand, look — today we are fighting alone. The casualties are exclusively Ukrainian. All we need from our partners is simple: to do what they agreed to do. We’re not even asking for more. Just let them follow through on what was agreed, signed, or promised.

Today we’re seeing these steps slow down. We are pushing, and will continue pushing, to get anti-ballistic systems and other things we need. That’s why I say: for some, summer is summer — a time to rest — but for others, it’s a great struggle, the same as it was in winter, in fall, and for more than four years now. That’s the reason for this reaction. Nobody is losing their temper — it’s just that this isn’t entirely fair. We have to do everything we can to secure funding for these missiles, and then do everything we can to ensure these missiles are actually delivered to us for that same money. I believe we need a strong, unified team — not just within Ukraine, but among Ukrainians together with Europeans and Americans, who have promised and continue to promise their support.

Because the applause for what we’re achieving in Crimea isn’t enough. Let them save that applause for the day the war ends — when there is peace, and victory over Putin.

On the F-16 fighter jet program

Zelensky: As for the F-16 program, we’re supposed to have a meeting on this program during the NATO summit. After that, we’ll know the date of a meeting of leaders specifically on the F-16 program. I don’t have a date yet. We very much wanted this meeting to take place in July or August. I think that’s how it will play out.

Everyone has to move fast. Everyone has to — sorry, I know they’ll say again that Ukraine isn’t grateful enough, but I’m sorry, you can’t expect constant gratitude when you’re living through this, under attacks like these, all the time. So I really want everyone to remember: vacations are vacations, but people need to meet, to help Ukraine, to support us.

On Putin’s strategy and the situation inside Russia

Zelensky: Putin is losing this war. That’s what’s happening. He understands clearly that he can intimidate people and simply destroy civilians with missile strikes — hitting logistics, hitting civilians, hitting film studios, schools, universities. We have hospitals, we have grocery stores. In other words, he just wants to show his own population that Russia is winning.

Frankly, we can all see that they have major problems with logistics — already problems with shells, problems with oil, problems with gasoline and diesel. The country has started importing energy resources. That tells you something. The success of Ukraine’s operation in Crimea, and the fact that they have effectively been stopped on the battlefield in Ukraine, is clearly making it hard for Putin to give calm answers to his loyal public’s questions.

All his stories about knowing and loving Crimea — that’s a lie. Just like the eastern part of our country — he’s never been there, and neither has his entire entourage. And that’s why he’s fighting to show that he’s winning. He needs to sell his society a great victory. There is no victory, and there will be none. That’s why he’s turning to intimidation through these strikes and other rhetoric meant to intimidate Ukraine. But I’m confident it won’t work, although our partners need to not let their guard down.

On Russia’s upcoming parliamentary elections and the risk of escalation

Zelensky: Of course, he has an election in September. And our own politicians need to keep in mind — not for us, but for him — that we need to defend our state. He has an election in September, and he needs a unified society that will support his “United Russia” — there’s only one party, hence United Russia. That’s why he needs all of this.

And he’s afraid of chaos. And he needs to show muscle. But he has no muscle on the battlefield. So he’s showing it through these kinds of actions. We need to understand there could be escalation — we need clear deliveries, the military needs to do its job, they’re holding the front firmly, the Defense Ministry is providing supplies. No one can afford to let their guard down. We just can’t let our guard down. We are very close. We can’t let our guard down.

On the possibility of negotiations and new strikes on Moscow

Reporter: At the G7, did you propose to Putin a meeting at NATO — did you not propose one through various other channels as well?

Zelensky: At the G7? We’re open to it. We’re ready to meet. He’s physically afraid to meet.

Reporter: Will there be strikes on Moscow now?

Zelensky: Well, you know, we stand for a just peace, a just end to the war. But until that happens, we’re going to respond fairly.