Zelenskyy: "I can’t even share" what I’m doing for missiles

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged that he is trying to strike various deals to secure more missiles but has declined to disclose their details, saying he is taking certain steps about which he cannot even speak.

In an interview with CNN, he noted that if the United States sells Ukraine 5%, they will survive the winter.

“I have one per cent. This is what I live each day: from 1% to 5%. I have some months, and million phone calls … I try to exchange something to missiles … I do some things which I can’t even share. It doesn’t mean that it’s outside of the law. But I can’t speak about it,” he said.

During the interview, Zelensky urged the United States to sell Kyiv more Patriot interceptor missiles, saying access to just 10% of the US stockpile would allow Ukraine to destroy Russian ballistic missiles, while 5% would be enough to protect the country through the winter.

He maintained that Ukraine currently has only a fraction of the Patriot interceptors it urgently needs as Russian ballistic missile attacks have intensified in recent weeks, with Kyiv bearing much of the impact.

“This year we have two and a half times less interceptors than we had in 2025,” he said. “Russia has two times more ballistic missiles per month than they had before.”

July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, according to the United Nations. Zelensky made clear that Ukrainian cities are coming under attack almost every night, with several large-scale strikes each month.

“Each night you have attacks, and four or five times per month we have massive attacks … terrible nights. Very heroic, very resilient people really. But they (are) tired,” he stressed.

In his words, even a relatively small increase in the US supply could make a significant difference.

“If they can sell us 5%, we will go through the winter and save people’s lives. If they can sell us 10%, we will destroy all the Russians’ ballistic missiles. I have 1%,” he emphasised.

A global shortage of Patriot interceptors has emerged partly because of the US war with Iran, where American and Gulf forces have used large numbers of the missiles against Iranian ballistic missiles and relatively inexpensive drones. The shortage has been particularly damaging for Ukraine, leaving some cities with limited protection against Russian attacks.

Zelensky also offered a rare glimpse into his personal efforts to obtain additional interceptors, describing a daily campaign of calls and negotiations with foreign partners.

He also expressed uncertainty over whether President Donald Trump’s apparent support for Ukraine producing its own Patriot interceptors would ultimately become reality.

Trump said on the sidelines of the NATO Ankara summit that he would allow Ukraine to obtain a licence to manufacture the sophisticated missiles domestically. Days later, however, he said he was uncertain about the proposal. Representatives of Patriot manufacturers have travelled to Kyiv to discuss possible production, but no agreement has yet emerged.

“I hope that I will get it,” Zelensky remarked. “I don’t have now 5% and I don’t have such an acceptance. And this is for me is a big challenge, one of the biggest I had from the very beginning of this war.”

Zelensky said he had been appealing directly to the White House through phone calls and messages, while also relying on allied governments to press Washington for greater Patriot support. He declined to discuss details of his recent contacts with the Trump administration.

He confirmed that he had recently spoken by phone with Vice President JD Vance, but would not say whether Vance had asked Ukraine to halt attacks on a Russian oil port in the Black Sea, as reported by the Financial Times. Such strikes have reportedly affected US companies and raised concerns about higher global energy prices.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has put forward new proposals as part of Trump’s peace initiative, although negotiations have appeared largely stalled in recent months.

Zelensky declined to disclose the details but said greater US involvement was needed.

“We need more involvement of the American side to the peace plan. I’m thankful to the team of President Trump that they want to continue. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn’t want to stop this war now and (there’s) not enough pressure on him now,” he explained.

He also rejected the possibility of Ukraine surrendering the remaining territory in the Donbas sought by Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that credible security guarantees remained essential for Kyiv.

“Russia begins to speak about this war, and they speak about territory. The key question is why he will not come again with 1 or 2 additional million soldiers after a big pause. Why will he not come again to occupy us?” Zelensky asked.

The Ukrainian president also said he agreed with assessments from some Western officials that Putin could eventually seek to widen the conflict to NATO territory, including the Baltic states.

“He doesn’t know how to end this war without big occupation or big victory for his society. It’s more simple to find some smaller country … for him, it will not be important if this country is in NATO or not in NATO. He wants quick victory, 100% sure that he will win, occupy or destroy or control,” Zelensky said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov