He said President Donald Trump backs Ukraine on carrying out retaliatory strikes against Russian energy targets and arms factories.
News site Axios released the interview on Thursday. In it, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces are seeking additional long-range weaponry from Washington and that, if they get it, they “will use it.” He added that this should serve as a warning to leaders in Moscow.
Zelenskyy said, “They have to know where their bomb shelters are. If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case.”
He added that his forces will not target Russian civilians because “we are not terrorists.”
He also dropped a hint about his future, saying he is ready to step down as president after they “finish the war.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a reaction on social media. He said his forces could use weapons that a “bomb shelter won’t protect against.” He warned Americans to “keep this in mind.”
Zelenskyy’s interview comes just days after he met with Trump at the headquarters of the United Nations.
