Putin wants Ukraine to miss ballistic missiles, says Zelenskyy after Kremlin issues demands on intelligence halt for Kyiv

Mar 19, 2025 - 08:01

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Russian leader Vladimir Putin intends to prolong the war and kill Ukrainian civilians when he demands an end to military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, according to UNIAN.

Following Putin’s conversation with US President Donald Trump on 18 March, the Kremlin issued a statement outlining demands for a 30-day ceasefire. Putin called for halting Ukraine’s mobilization and rearmament of its Armed Forces.

On 19 March, at the press conference, Zelenskyy was asked whether the US might agree to Putin’s demand that military support and intelligence for Kyiv be stopped.

“No one can influence the US regarding aid to Ukraine or other countries. This is solely President Trump’s decision, in my view,” Zelenskyy responded.

The Ukrainian president emphasized that Russia seeks to weaken Ukraine by pressuring partners to end assistance.

“It looks very strange. If you are not going to keep fighting us and truly want peace—I mean Putin—then why are you afraid of the Ukrainian army? Why are you doing everything to weaken our army or to undermine the protection of our people?” Zelenskyy noted.

The Ukrainian leader also stressed the crucial role of US intelligence, warning that without it, Ukraine could lose the ability to detect the timing of Russian ballistic missile launches.

“Why does Putin want this if he does not intend to kill us? It shows he wants us to be unaware of incoming ballistic missile strikes targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. He wants us to miss these attacks so our people don’t make it to shelters. All this points to a continuation of the war,” Zelenskyy emphasized.

The president concluded that, on the contrary, Ukraine’s allies should increase aid to signal readiness for any Russian escalation.

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