Zelenskiy Talks US Support for Ukraine, Frozen Russian Assets

President Zelenski, thank you so much for taking the time for speaking with Bloomberg. Yet again, thank you very much. I'd like to begin by taking a step back. We've now been at war for three years and nine months almost. There is a lot of concern. Each of those days is measured in lives and resources. There's concerns that it's

Thank you very much, Not to lose your support, not to lose unity between the United States and Europe.

Around Ukrainian question.

First of all, what we need we need between us, Yes, longer artillery we really need. There's a big deficit on the front line. I mean this during this war.

It's not the question of this day. It's a question for this war. And of course we need air defense.

We're thankful for program Poor. We are thankful to President Yes, and this is very important. He opened this corridor that we can buy by we can buy air defense. I mean missiles Pack three first of all, PUCK three and of course systems with system is difficult because it's always the question of time.

Yes, but we can't wait because they attack us each day.

And we began to work on intercept Us droned intercept Us. We have our production and by the way, good production, American Ukraine production, co production. I'm happy that we have co productions already we started.

This, but I hope that in future we will have more.

So I think here defense number one longer ertilly, as I said, and of course if you will ask me, what can change, Yes, we need long range, Yes, we need long range.

Somebody. By the way, I had conversations with centers as.

You mentioned at the very beginning, and bipartisan support.

We are thankful.

But we spoke about tomahawks for for example, I said, it's not only about the mahawks. There are some similar long range things and important were important things. Look, there are military targets on the territory of Russia which have a huge air defense around because they need to save.

That's why it's not enough to have drawns. We need, you know, some come out of the package.

So if we want to answer, because they attack us and we have to answer, that's why we raised this topic with American side.

Another topic at the battle lines right now. The battle for Pokorovsk is currently being waged. There have been some suggestions from allies saying that it might make sense to have a tactical retreat to conserve military, conserve resources, conserve lives in order to regroup. Is that something that you're actively considering. Has the time the time come to take a retreat.

In any way?

This is really this is a decision of generals, and of course I will support our soldiers, especially commanders who are there, which how they can control the situation or it's too expensive for us, We can't lose the most important for us, this is our soldiers, and of course they have to they need to decide on the battlefield, decide the place. But you have to know the most expensive months during these three years and.

Nine months, the months for Rusians because of crops.

They lost in October more than twenty five thousand people. It's only I mean, this is twenty five thousand what we control from drums. So there are video effects of this, So I don't know the total number of their losses during October, but only only fixed by video. Twenty five thousands.

And something something you do control and there will be renewed discussions about this around manpower, whether or not you need to expand the conscription. Is that something you were looking at. This is something that you may hear more from allies, given the retreat you've had to make in Zaporisia for example.

Look, the question of people, of course, is the most sensitive and the most difficult and difficult for me, for soldiers.

For people, for society and for partners.

Yes, and of course we don't have a really comparable number of people because you know that the size of Russia, yes, and you know the size of your grain.

Yes. But this is the balance. You can't even.

If soldiers ask to mobilize more people.

You have to balance. It's a very difficult question.

You have to balance because there is a society people they have to work, and they have they need, They have to work and pay taxes, and then this money goes to army. So you have to find the balance. So I react during military.

Cabinets, and of course soldiers.

Raised this topic and partners, yes, but partners are not at the battlefield. And that's why, with all respect, with all respect, I said, the decision of our army awards to mobilize thought about thirty thousand per months.

And the system now is.

Doing this, and one of those partners is President Donald Trump. He seemed very committed to the idea of a ceasefire. Now it seems that the diplomatic line for now is closed. You know, President Trump and you understand one another much better than you did back in February. With that understanding, how do you bring him back to the table and on your side.

Of the table, how to bring bad Trump?

Yes, committing to the idea.

This is I think this is important for me if and for our people. And this is a big you're much more bigger than than in Ukraine.

We paid the most you know, high price because it's.

Only Ukrainian losses here, but human losses of course, first of all.

But we have to understand that also.

I think this, this is important for America, and I think this is very important not to give possibility Russia just to I mean that Russia began this aggression.

Russia began this war.

If the war against us, they have they stolen you know, thousands of Ukrainian children. We can't I mean, they don't respect they don't respect the law, but they really respect the United States.

They respect President Trump.

I really think that President Trump can push put into negotiations and that's why.

This is very important. And I think that you know, like I said to centers, were very thankful to first lady.

And I'm very thankful, like the President of Ukraine that our first ladies Lena and Millennia, that they spoke, they began to work on children question, how to bring kids back. This is very important and I'm thankful to her and to other leaders who also helped us for this moment.

We brought one thousand and six hundred children.

And you mentioned the Pearl Defense program that was rolled out earlier this year. Is that bringing you what you need at this stage?

And I'm thankful to President that we can get what we need. Not enough, but it depends on you know, different things, but not enough, but not enough air defense, not enough missiles. I work on it personally. I work on it personally each day here in Ukraine and abroad.

We have different systems.

We have nasoms, Irish t hawks, Patriot systems, different systems and for these systems we need or it's about missiles or the questions of money, and I need to get these fonds and to push these money for air defense for PRO. Now we have this ploral that's why this is very important.

And then the US shutdown. There have been reports that the US shutdown has been affecting the PRO program, that maybe it's been creating difficulties for allies to purchase through the program, it has had delays to deliveries. Has the US shutdown had an impact on the battlefield for you?

All such things in the United States, of course have influence. You have to understand that you are bleaders and we count on your support. And of course any kind of such challenges in your country have influence. Of course, because there is nothing it's not about the will of one or not it I mean this people or institutions. Sometimes it goes like because of logistics, you know, some slow steps, we need it and it comes later or or doesn't.

So I mean that's why such things, of course.

Have So it's feed on the battle of the US shutdown.

Of course we have influence on it.

Yeah, but important that not of the will of some people they I mean in the United States.

And this is your in tonal questions. But but you don't understand how it works.

Yeah, and all the other partners that you have obviously the European partners. We're sensing the Russian assets is of course the main debate that is happening in Europe right now. There's a pattern with European leaders where at first they say no to something, whether it's tanks or some other things, then they go to maybe, then they get to yes. Right now they're on maybe for the Russian assets. Do

We need it very much.

This is real one of the the types of real sanctions. Russia has to pay for this war. They began this war and they have to pay. This is a real fact. How they can pay. And we need this money. We will spend this money on renovation. And of course we need really we need air defense, and you know, we need air defense from.

The United States and we have European systems.

We need this air defense from the Europe from European leaders.

This is all very important.

And of course we need finance our drone production, which is huge.

We need to finance it, and we don't have additional money.

And this is the way and this is fair. I think they began this war and they want to continue. That's why they have to pay.

Is this the most significant thing European leaders can do right now?

Of course we can get more than one hundred forty villains for today. We can get it, by the way from the United States. It will be also good saying, you know, like with energy, like sanctions of the White House of President. Yes, it's about Louk Oil and Ross Ross and local important step and it brought some other our partners, European planners also to some strong decisions, and we've been happy that they have been nineteen spackage.

We're thankful to Europeans for this.

So that's why if President Trump, for example, will decide that he has some five I think more than five billion he has of answers, maybe he will decide to spend this money.

It will help.

Have you discussed alternatives with allies about Russian assets? If that does not come through, is there an alternative plan? Is there plan B?

No, they understand that we need their support and if I hope God blessed, we will get this decision.

But they will not have this decision.

Of course, we together will find out we have to find althornamty is the question of our surviving. That's why we need it very much. And I count on partners.

And on the question of you brought down Trump in connection to the Europeans, why did it take Donald Trump to get the Europeans to ban Russian energy?

He always said that he wants Europe to put sanctions on Russian energy. He always said that that was during our meeting and then etc.

And you know that some countries in Europe they really used it. Yes, it was not the case of one year.

In the case of I think about thirty years, they had relations and a lot of different factory they.

Have common businesses. It's understandable.

And then President of the United States that he that okay, I'm ready and if Europe will be ready. And of course this decision, this way of sanctions was good. As I said to you that it was American sanctions and European sanctions. It like split and they came together, and I think.

This is good way. It was good way.

And that's the same about as That's why I raised it about asset, that there are some assets in the United States.

If the United States can.

Do it, it will be helpful for European decisions also and.

On the assets, is there an alternative plan? So potentially, let's say the EU can't agree on twenty seven, let's say it's twenty five, and then maybe there's a partnership with Canada or other nations that did you see that as an alternative path for the Russian assets To back that, we.

Have bilateral security documents between US and twenty eight maybe twenty nine for today partners. We have bilateral documents, security document which gives us possibility to count on each year financial support. For example, we have good document with Canada. You said about Canada. We have good document with Canada. We have good document with the United States. We have very good documents with other for example North European parts and Germany, and really we can count on their money.

And of course we count on this document.

It's not alternative, but this, I mean, this is good how to say pill, This is a good pill.

And in terms of energy, the Russians have been targeting more and more your energy infrastructure, your gas infrastructure as well. You're heading into the winter, get another winter of the war. Very difficult situation. Can you tell us what the situation is going to be for energy in the coming months for.

Ukraine two, we have really a difficult situation and we have to go through this winter.

It's not the first winter, by the way.

But they, of course they increase the number of attacks by drawnes. Can you imagine they use Iranian drones. Can you imagine how many druns they use. They use, five hundred they use they can use six hundred, seven hundred, they used ones already of eight hundred drowns for per d plus ballistic and cruise missiles. And it's such combination, of course. Yes, but we we have what we have.

People and our people from energy and they

Which work on the fields, and that's why this is very important.