Washington (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Kremlin will become a target and Russian officials should check for bomb shelters if Moscow does not stop its invasion of his country, Axios reported Thursday. Russia has occupied about 20 percent of Ukraine and rained bombs and missiles on civilian and military sites since launching a full-scale invasion in 2022, with Moscow’s forces striking the government complex in Kyiv for the first time this month.
Zelensky said that Ukrainian policy would also now put previously off-limits targets in the crosshairs, Axios reported. “They have to know where their bomb shelters are,” Zelensky told Axios in an interview. “They need it. If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.”
Answering criticism from US President Donald Trump and his right-wing government over the indefinite suspension of elections in wartime Ukraine, Zelensky also told Axios that he would not seek to remain in power once peace comes. “My goal is to finish the war,” not to continue to run for office, he said.
Zelensky said Ukraine would not target civilians in Russia because “we are not terrorists.” However, he indicated that Ukraine hopes to obtain a more powerful US weapon, which he did not name, to threaten strikes deep inside Russia. Axios quoted Zelensky as saying he had told Trump during a meeting in New York this week “what we need — one thing.”
– Trump growing ‘impatient’ –
“If we will have such long-distance weapons from the United States, we will use it,” he said in a clip of the interview released by Axios. US and European backing for Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russia has often wavered, with Washington and European capitals nervous of provoking Moscow into an expanded conflict. However, Ukraine is now frequently hitting Russian energy industry installations and Zelensky said Trump had given him the green light to continue.
He said Trump had told him that he “supports that we can answer on energy.” Trump said following his meeting with Zelensky earlier this week that Ukraine could win back all of its territory from Russia — an astonishing turnaround after months of saying Kyiv would likely have to cede land to its larger neighbor. The US leader also called for NATO countries to shoot down any Russian fighter jets violating their airspace, following a series of incidents that have rattled US allies in Eastern Europe.
It marks a major shift on Ukraine for Trump, who told Zelensky during a televised Oval Office bust-up in February that “you don’t have the cards” to beat Russia. The change in views by the US president reflects his growing frustration with Putin since a summit in Alaska on August 15 failed to produce a breakthrough, and was instead followed by increased Russian attacks.
Vice President JD Vance warned Wednesday that Trump was “growing incredibly impatient” with Moscow, saying the US leader “doesn’t feel like they’re putting enough on the table to end the war.” “If the Russians refuse to negotiate in good faith, I think it’s going to be very, very bad for their country,” Vance added.
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