President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an online meeting hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank, attended by more than 100 participants, including the Institute’s leadership and analysts, leading American experts, diplomats, and media representatives.
The Head of State expressed gratitude for the attention given to our country and for informing the world about the war in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during which they discussed the results of the meetings held this week in Oslo and St. Petersburg, as well as plans to hold a trilateral meeting at the team level in the first half of November.
“Now we all need to focus on making these meetings happen, of course together, of course with America, of course with Europe, and with all our other partners. We need these meetings, and we need diplomacy to move forward,” the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that trilateral meetings cannot take place without American pressure on Russia.
“And that’s why we are really counting on you, on America, to keep this a priority at every level,” the President said.
The Head of State emphasized that Europe must be part of the dialogue between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
“We need to move from technical-level trilateral talks to a meeting of the leaders – because the key issues can only be settled at that level,” the President noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also spoke about the prisoner exchange that brought 270 people home to Ukraine from Russian captivity, many of whom had been held in terrible conditions.
At the same time, the President stressed that speed limits on Starlink and Starshield remain in place. Deliveries of interceptor missiles to protect against Russian ballistic missiles, which had already been agreed upon, are also being delayed.
“All of this is happening while we continue our quite successful operations on the front. We keep defending positions. Things have become harder – partly because of the Starlink and Starshield policies and speed limits. But our frontline is still holding. And we are doing our best to keep our logistics working, and we continue defending ourselves. And I am proud of how strong our people are,” the Head of State said.
The President also addressed a question people have been asking in recent days – why Ukraine is speaking more openly and directly to the world. According to the President, Ukraine wants to communicate its position to the societies of partner countries so that people understand us.
“I mean people – people, societies, nations, as many people as possible. And when people understand what is really going on, political leaders can take a stronger path – the one that can really bring peace closer. And peace is what we want more than anything,” the President emphasized.
The meeting also covered Ukraine’s preparations for winter and support from partners. The Head of State noted that Ukraine has agreements with European partners on gas supplies. At the same time, the delivery of interceptor missiles for Patriot systems remains a separate challenge.
“We speak with different countries – Asia, the Middle East, and our European partners. Of course, we count on the American package. So the winter package is energy and interceptors – the most important things,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
Special attention was paid to Russia’s hybrid attacks against European countries. The Head of State noted that Russia is effectively waging a hybrid war against Europe, including through drone attacks, cyberattacks, and efforts to destabilize the situation in the Black Sea. According to the President, Russia is seeking to divide the European Union and weaken partners’ support for Ukraine.
Security guarantees for Ukraine were also discussed. The Head of State noted that a strong Ukrainian army, financial support from partners, a clear mechanism for responding to possible future Russian aggression, and stronger air defenses, which will remain important even after the war ends, must all be key components of peace.
“But we need not just peace. The peace must be fair and strong. Its strength depends on security guarantees. So this is what we need,” the President emphasized.
The Hudson Institute is an American think tank founded in 1961 in Croton-on-Hudson. It is a respected conservative think tank that takes a pro-Ukrainian stance. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression, the Hudson Institute’s leadership and staff have visited Ukraine on numerous occasions.