Zelensky: America, don't forget Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 22nd in an interview with CNN that the United States has shifted its focus to the Middle East and is deeply entangled in the Iran issue. When discussing his views on the United States, Zelensky said, “I think it’s important not to forget Ukraine.” According to the Ukrainian International News Agency, Zelensky said he understands that the U.S.’s focus during the interview is on Iran, but emphasized that Ukraine is likewise not something that can be overlooked. The war in Ukraine cannot be “solved later”; it is necessary to find ways to address both major crises in parallel. Zelensky said that the conflict in Iran has led to delays in U.S. assistance to Ukraine of some key weapons, especially air defense missiles, and that, due to limitations in U.S. production capacity, Ukraine is unable to obtain sufficient supplies. At the same time, Ukraine is working to expand weapons production—for example, increasing the daily output of drone interceptors from about 1,000 units to 2,000 units, which is within achievable production capacity—but the problem is a lack of funding.

According to information from Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, on the 22nd representatives of EU member states approved a plan to provide Ukraine with 90 billion euros in loans, and also adopted a new round of sanctions against Russia; the final written procedures are expected to be completed on the 23rd. On the 21st, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Kachka said he hopes to receive the first tranche of the 90 billion euro loan from the EU by the end of June. ( Xinhua News Agency )