In a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian in London, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared upbeat, asserting that Europe's largest war since 1945 is slowly turning in Ukraine's favor. More than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion, he described the military situation as the most promising for Kyiv in two and a half years. 'We can't say Russia is losing this war. But we can say they are losing the initiative each day, day by day,' he stated.
Recent Setbacks for Russia
Over the past week, the Kremlin has suffered a series of setbacks. Long-range Ukrainian drones struck Putin's hometown of St. Petersburg, setting oil terminals ablaze and sending smoke over the skyline. Similar attacks crippled occupied Crimea, where a key supply road is littered with burning vehicles, causing severe fuel shortages on the peninsula seized by Russia in 2014.
On the eastern battlefield, Russia's grinding advance has nearly halted. According to Zelenskyy, who has consistently maintained that sufficient support can enable Ukraine to defend itself, Russia is losing over 30,000 soldiers monthly, with 23,000 to 24,000 killed and the rest heavily wounded. The true figure may be even higher. 'Totally, this is a very big number. It means that they are not winning the war,' he pointed out. Ukraine has also suffered losses, though on a smaller scale.
Intensified Aerial Attacks
Despite the stalled ground war, Russia continues its destruction, intensifying aerial attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities to terrorize civilians. One attack last Tuesday involved 73 missiles and 656 drones, killing 18 people in Kyiv and Dnipro, including a three-year-old boy buried under rubble. The mayor of Kyiv accused Russia of deliberately using cluster munitions in residential areas.
Last week, Zelenskyy wrote an open letter to Putin proposing a face-to-face meeting to de-escalate the conflict. Speaking at the St. Petersburg economic forum, Putin rejected the offer, calling the letter 'rude' and reiterating Russia's territorial demands for the Donbas region and two southern Ukrainian provinces. He insisted Russian forces were advancing along the frontline, telling them: 'Keep working, brothers.'
Putin's Lies and Isolation
Putin's intransigence has led some observers to question his grasp on reality, suggesting he may be delusional or misinformed by his commanders. Zelenskyy finds these theories plausible but stressed that 'the reason he's lying doesn't matter.' Putin has lied about the war from the start, claiming it was necessary to 'rescue' Russian speakers. His lies serve as glue to unite different elements in Russian society, Zelenskyy believes.
On the international stage, Russia has faced several political defeats. In April, Putin's closest European ally, Viktor Orbán, was defeated in Hungary's general election. Recent Russian efforts to back pro-Kremlin candidates in Moldova and Armenia also failed. 'They are losing influence in different countries, including in Azerbaijan,' Zelenskyy said. 'They are isolated inside Europe and from the United States also. So they are alone.'
Relations with the US and Trump
Donald Trump began his second term in 2025 vowing to end the war. Zelenskyy has cautiously praised US diplomatic efforts despite a tense Oval Office meeting, last summer's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, and cuts in US aid to Kyiv. 'I always said to President Trump that Putin is lying. He plays games with you, with the White House,' Zelenskyy said, while expressing gratitude for American support.
Ukraine's president acknowledged that Washington's focus has shifted to the Middle East. 'Of course, from the very beginning of the war with Iran their focus shifted,' he said of the Trump administration. He understands why the US has used many missiles and weapons in its war with Tehran but noted wistfully that Kyiv never received 'that volume of support' compared to US Gulf allies and Israel. 'It's a pity,' he added.
Ukraine as a Drone Superpower
Since 2022, Ukraine has transformed into a drone superpower, evolving from a recipient of Western military aid into a hub for military production and innovation. Several Arab countries have sought Ukraine's help in shooting down Iranian Shahed drones. The most critical weapon Ukraine now lacks, Zelenskyy said, is the US-made Patriot system, the only one capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles that rain down on sleeping civilians nightly.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy held talks in Downing Street with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. He renewed a call for European allies to 'close' Ukraine's skies, helping fend off large-scale drone and missile attacks. Besides antiballistic interceptors, he seeks financial support to transform Ukraine's mobilized forces into a European-style contract army.
European Cooperation on Missile Defense
Recognizing that Patriot missiles cost $4 million each and that the UK lacks its own antiballistic missile program, Zelenskyy believes London, Paris, Berlin, and other EU states should collaborate to build an alternative to the US version. In return, Ukraine is ready to share its hard-won drone warfare experience with European friends. 'The UK is among them. And NATO is very interested in it. This is priceless information. There is a huge volume of it,' he said.
Zelenskyy was reluctant to discuss future military operations but noted that long- and mid-range drone attacks have made the return of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, a tantalizing if distant possibility. Ukraine's forces are destroying the peninsula's logistics and hitting military and energy targets across occupied southern Ukraine. 'It's all about critical infrastructure. This helps them to militarize our Crimea. We are working on it,' he added.
Making Russians Feel the War
Many Russians have long tried to ignore the war across the border. Zelenskyy said the purpose of long-range strikes, which have seen drones buzzing over apartment blocks in Moscow and St. Petersburg, is to make residents 'feel' what war means. 'Victory in this war is when Russian society recognizes that the war is awful, that the war is a tragedy not for someone, somewhere, but for themselves. And I think this is the momentum,' he said.
In May, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich secretly traveled to Kyiv for talks with Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy told Abramovich he would never give up the Donbas region as Moscow wishes. Explaining the meeting, he said: 'I think there are different people around Putin. Half of them want to continue this war. Half want to stop. And I think that people who are from business, they understand that the economy is in a terrible situation in Russia. It's very close to collapse.'
A Warm Relationship with King Charles
Zelenskyy spoke to the Guardian shortly before meeting King Charles. The two men appear to have developed a warm, trusting relationship. Zelenskyy previously revealed that the monarch urged Donald Trump during his state visit to the UK last year to support Ukraine, something the US president has been reluctant to do. Asked if the king might one day visit Kyiv, Zelenskyy grinned and nodded enthusiastically. 'You know today in the morning when I spoke by phone with my wife [Olena], with all respect to Keir [Starmer], my wife said best regards to the king. And then to the prime minister,' he confessed. 'Ukraine loves his majesty. I would like to invite him to Kyiv very much. Maybe this year. I don't know from the point of security but of course we want to see him.'
