People will come back if we have enough air defence – Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukrainians who have left for other countries because of the war will come back home and work for the good of their country if Ukraine has sufficient air defence assets to protect them, and thus Kyiv will not need as much financial assistance from the West.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with UK tabloid The Sun 

Quote from Zelenskyy: "We need nothing, only air defence on the frontline. The [Biden] administration helps and Europe helps, but it’s not enough. It’s really not enough, because, for example, I know that if 7-8 cities in Ukraine, the biggest ones, will have total air defence for their regions – not only the city, but the region around the city – if they have it, we will move all our people, most of our people from different countries.

If we move them, they will work and pay taxes. And it will be maybe not enough but mostly it will shut the financial gap in our budget, and will need so much money and financial help from the United States and European partners."

Details: Zelenskyy added that sometimes he cannot understand "why all of us, we cannot manage it, just give us [air defence assets] or for rent, and we will protect our cities."

Quote from Zelenskyy: "People will come back and work, and children will mostly go to school because air defence will defend all this educational network in Ukraine mostly. Of course, not total defence, but mostly."

More details: In his impassioned speech, the president said that Kyiv would find a way to buy, lease or jointly produce weapons if its allies no longer wanted to provide them for free, but that it needed air defence to bring Ukrainians home.

Quote from Zelenskyy: "We are fighting for common wealth, and it’s very important. But we are losing our people – not Europeans or Americans. I don’t wish for you to have such a war on your territory, and I don’t wish you, of course, to lose your soldiers. But like I said, we are the strongest from those countries who have been in the USSR many years ago. And that’s why if they destroy us and kill us, they will occupy NATO countries. Very quickly. Like Baltic states, Poland, or others. And after that, you will move your soldiers, otherwise, there will be no NATO."

Support UP or become our patron!