Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke on Wednesday in an interview with French public television station France 2 about the human cost of the war, the ongoing negotiations and Europe’s stance towards Russia.
A visibly emotional Zelenskiy shared figures that are rarely made public regarding the number of casualties.
“In Ukraine, the official number of soldiers killed on the battlefield, professional or mobilized, is 55,000.[In addition to this]there are a large number of people that Ukraine considers missing,” he said.
This figure is disputed by several independent research centers, who estimate that the actual number of Ukrainian soldiers killed is much higher.
An estimated 100,000 to 140,000 people have been killed since the war began in 2022, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.
As new tripartite talks were held in Abu Dhabi, President Zelenskiy denounced what he called a pressure strategy by Moscow.
He said Russia “wants to cause more suffering to the Ukrainian people and force them to accept what our friends in the United States call a ‘compromise.'” But he added: “This is actually an ultimatum from the Kremlin.”
“If we lose this war, we will lose our independence.”
These comments came amid renewed Russian attacks. Two people were killed in a drone attack in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region on Wednesday.
Russia had already targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as temperatures in some areas dropped to nearly -20 degrees Celsius the previous day.
On the diplomatic front, the Ukrainian president emphasized the existential risks of the conflict. “If we lose this war, we will simply lose our country’s independence,” he said.
Asked about the role of Western allies, Zelenskiy spoke about his relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“We are good friends… He called me and told me that he is thinking of resuming dialogue with Russia. He knows what I think. President Putin’s interest is to humiliate Europe. But it is very important that Emanuel works to bring peace. It will be beneficial for the whole world if there are no more wars in Ukraine.”
President Putin: “I’m afraid of President Trump,” but “I’m not afraid of Europeans.”
The Ukrainian president also shared his assessment of the balance of power between Moscow and the West.
President Zelenskiy claimed that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not afraid of Europeans,” it is because “Europeans live in a wonderful and safe world of their own making.”
“Europe is very democratic… That’s why Ukraine is choosing the path to Europe,” he said, referring to Kiev’s ambitions to join the European Union by 2027.
By contrast, Zelenskyy believed the Kremlin was “afraid of Trump” and claimed that the US president had “coercion tools through the economy, sanctions and weapons.”
President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on President Vladimir Putin to “end the war” following a major attack on Kiev in recent days.
Finally, President Zelenskiy emphasized that the war in Ukraine has repercussions beyond national borders.
“Ukraine’s neighbors understand that they will become Putin’s next victims and that Russia will move forward,” he warned.
“Europeans who understand this are supporting Ukraine very effectively…We are all fighting to protect the European way of life.”
The European Union on Wednesday opened the door to buying additional British weapons for Ukraine as part of a €90 billion loan that the 24 EU member states want to use for Kiev.
The 27 member states agreed to allow some non-EU countries, such as the UK, to take part in the plan in exchange for financial contributions.