The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, gave an extensive interview to The Guardian. In particular, he discussed a potential meeting with Trump, U.S. access to rare earth metals, the threat of European occupation, assassination attempts on the Commander-in-Chief and murders of people from the Office of the President, and more. This was reported by Kontrakty.UA.
What the Ukrainian leader said to the publication's journalist can be read in the article on TSN.ua.
Territorial Exchange
If Donald Trump succeeds in negotiating talks between Ukraine and Russia, Kyiv may propose a territorial exchange option.
"We will exchange one territory for another," Zelensky said, referring to the possibility of Ukraine relinquishing land in the Kursk region, which has been under Kyiv's control since an unexpected offensive six months ago.
At the same time, Zelensky did not specify which part of the occupied territories Ukraine could receive in return.
"I don't know, we'll see. But all our territories are important; there is no priority," the president added.
Security Guarantees Without the U.S.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that if Donald Trump decides to stop aid to Ukraine, Europe will not be able to fill that gap on its own.
"There are voices suggesting that Europe could offer security guarantees without the Americans, and I always say — no," Zelensky emphasized.
Security guarantees without America, he stressed, are not real security guarantees.
Negotiations in Munich
This week, Zelensky will attend the Munich Security Conference, where he expects to meet with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, one of the most hostile politicians towards Ukraine in Trump's inner circle.
At last year's conference, Vance, who was then a senator, refused to meet with Zelensky, and previously he stated that he was "not very concerned about what happens to Ukraine, one way or another," the publication recalls.
Zelensky also plans to meet in Munich with other members of Trump's team, as well as influential senators, but according to him, "there is still no date" for a meeting with Trump himself, although his team is working on establishing it.
This past weekend, Trump stated that he would likely meet with Zelensky this week, and it is possible that the Ukrainian president may fly to Washington from Munich.
"We hope that our teams will determine the date and plan for meetings in the U.S. Once this is agreed upon, we are ready, I am ready," Zelensky said.
U.S. Access to Rare Earth Metals
The U.S. may gain priority access to Ukrainian natural resources. Specifically, this concerns rare earth metals, which play a strategic role in modern industry.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine has the largest reserves of uranium and titanium in Europe. The president emphasized that it is "not in the interest of the United States" for such resources to fall under Russian control and potentially end up in North Korea, China, or Iran.
"We are talking not only about security but also about money… Valuable natural resources that we can offer our partners as new investment opportunities," Zelensky noted.
The president reported that he discussed this issue with Donald Trump in September 2024 during a meeting in New York. He plans to return with a "more detailed plan" that will include opportunities for American companies both during the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and regarding the extraction of natural resources.
Closure of USAID Programs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that despite the freezing of some USAID programs, military support from the U.S. remains paramount for Ukraine.
"We will not complain about the freezing of some programs because for us the most important thing is military assistance, and it has been preserved, for which I am grateful… If the American side has the ability and desire to continue its humanitarian mission, we fully support that, and if not, we will find our own way out of this situation," Zelensky emphasized.
Need for Protection for Europe
The presence of a European contingent in Ukraine or at sea is a protection for Europe. As the Ukrainian president emphasized, after us, Putin will move further.
"Maybe Europe doesn't need to discuss military presence, security for Europe with Putin? Maybe this is Europe's business? Just as the protection of the United States is the business of the United States," he stressed.
Putin never asked for anything — he simply invaded Ukrainian territory. Zelensky rhetorically notes: why should the people on whose continent there is currently a war ask him? One should not ask a dictator whether he likes, for example, the presence of European ships.
"Maybe we need to just stop these infantile conversations? We have our own security guarantees. Europe needs to defend itself because it's Europe. And the 'Russians' are the 'Russians.' They need to be put in their place," the head of state emphasized.
Threat of European Occupation
The ratio of the Russian army to the European combat component is three to one. Zelensky stressed that without Ukraine, Europe will be occupied by the Russian Federation.
"I would like us to be on the ground and not flying somewhere in the air. To be in reality," he urged.
The Ukrainian army currently consists of 110 combat brigades, which is quite a lot. It is a very serious army. Russia has 220. And the Russians will approach 250 brigades by 2025. Yes, the enemy has a numerical advantage of two to one. The European combat component (considering American troops), according to Ukraine's calculations in contact with NATO, consists of 82 combat brigades. The figure is approximate but very close to reality.
"If you want to attack, your army needs to be at least one to three. Then there will be effective attacks and progress," the Ukrainian leader notes.
Without considering Ukraine, in Russia it is one to three against Europe. And it is clear what is happening.
"So without Ukraine, Europe will be occupied. Totally. By the 'Russians.' If they want to. And I believe they have nothing else in mind. They will want this," Zelensky concluded.
Assassination Attempts on the President and Murders of People from the Office of the President
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia issued Ukraine a harsh ultimatum that included the disbanding of the army, the installation of a pro-Russian government, the relinquishment of territories, and changes regarding the state language. However, the Ukrainian authorities rejected these conditions.
Zelensky recalled: when Russian troops were standing near Kyiv, the occupiers tried to impose even more radical demands than those in the Minsk agreements.
"I said — this simply cannot be. This is a complete betrayal, a violation of the rights of Ukrainians and our Constitution. We will not accept Putin's ultimatums," Zelensky emphasized.
According to him, there was immense pressure on him, and many world leaders and officials convinced him that he had to leave the country.
"Everyone told me: tomorrow we will be occupied, we need to run. They sent envoys here, even among the deputies. Many leaders called and said that I should leave. It wasn't just one call — I simply refused. The pressure was coming from all sides," Zelensky recounted.
He added that, in addition to the ultimatums, there was a real threat to his life — hostile sabotage groups were attempting to eliminate the country's leadership.
"There were people who wanted to kill. Shots were fired. Some people died inside our office. Others defended it. There was an airborne assault. All this was happening alongside the ultimatums that the Russians were presenting," the president noted.
Later, when Ukrainian forces began to liberate territories, Russia initiated negotiations again — first in Belarus and then in Turkey. However, the Kremlin's demands had not changed, and Ukraine once again refused to accept these ultimatums.
"They came, but we will not accept their conditions," the president summarized.
Putin's Playbook
Occupiers have come to our territory, so Ukraine is forced to defend itself. There were several approaches with ultimatums from the Russians.
"I never gave the green light to any ultimatums. This would never have happened.