Kursk breakthrough, peace plan, and Ukrainian weapons: Key points from Zelenskyy's press conference

Contents:

• Operation in the Kursk region
• Threats in the Pokrovsk direction
• Ukraine’s victory plan
• Second Peace Summit and Russia’s participation
• Western weapons and Ukrainian ballistic missiles
• Possible compromises with Russia
• Ministry of Unity and the return of men
• What else Zelenskyy said

Operation in the Kursk region

The President outlined the objectives of the operation in the border Russian region. According to him, many do not understand the purpose of this advance, which is good, "otherwise nothing would have been achieved in Kursk."

"The Kursk operation brought several things. First of all, the occupation of the Kharkiv region has been stopped. We had information about the creation of a buffer zone in the Kharkiv region, and then in the north, we did not know the specifics, but we understood that Sumy and Chernihiv regions could be in the plans," Zelenskyy says.

The Kursk operation addressed the issue of preventing the occupation of border areas in Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Additionally, it defeated a significant enemy force, although the exact size of this force "is probably too early to discuss."

Another objective is to divert Russian troops from other fronts. Currently, troop movements from the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions have occurred. Whether further enemy forces will be redeployed depends on how long Ukraine can successfully continue the Kursk operation. The fact that enemy troops are not being withdrawn from the Donetsk front is understandable, as it is their most prepared force and strategic direction.

"They are very eager to occupy our Donetsk region. That is not going to happen, and we are working on that," Zelenskyy emphasized.

He also commented on a The Washington Post material suggesting that the Kursk operation disrupted a secret meeting with a Russian delegation in Qatar, where an agreement on a moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure was supposed to be discussed. However, the President stated that these things are "absolutely unrelated."

“There are a lot of things written, and sometimes it doesn’t help much. Why? Because these are absolutely unrelated things. The Kursk operation has different objectives than a meeting with energy colleagues,” he noted.

Zelenskyy also stressed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not allow Russians to establish buffer zones on Ukrainian territory, so their actions are defensive, not aimed at occupying Ukrainian land. “We are not annexing anything to our state. We don't need foreign lands or citizens,” he said.

According to him, Ukrainian soldiers treat civilians of the enemy country simply as people. “Not as beasts… Our soldiers are just normal people. It’s clear why, because the people are like that: strong, but always a bit sympathetic,” Zelenskyy noted.

He added that certain tactics are necessary in war, and there is an understanding of how to prepare operations. “If we don’t succeed, we won’t have a chance. We need to be in a strong position at the Peace Summit. Of course, everything will end in dialogue. But it is necessary to have strong positions before that dialogue,” he said.

Threats in the Pokrovsk direction

When asked why the focus was on the Kursk region rather than reinforcing the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions, the President emphasized that the Russian forces will not abandon their plans to capture the Donetsk region, as it is a strategic objective.

“They don’t retreat there; if they go back, they are shot. "They are pressing; they need it. It's like the situation in Bakhmut - they will lose 50-60 thousand people there; you will see it,” he remarked.

According to him, the main strategy in the East is to prevent the enemy from reaching the administrative borders of the Donetsk region. “And we have been living with this plan for a long time. It is well known that their goal is full occupation of the Donbas. Our task is to prevent that,” he added.

When asked if a potential loss of Pokrovsk would indicate a failure of the Kursk operation plan, the President stated that the operation was already successful.

“All Western colleagues agree with me. Many decisions have already been made due to the success in Kursk,” he noted.

Ukraine’s victory plan

In addition, Zelenskyy said that the events in the Kursk region are part of Ukraine’s victory plan.

"It may sound overly ambitious to some, but for us, it's an important plan. One of the areas where something has already been accomplished is Kursk. The second area is Ukraine’s strategic position in global security infrastructure; the third is a package to compel Russia to end the war through diplomatic means; and the fourth is economic, and I won't talk about it in detail,” he said.

The plan has been prepared, but it will first be presented to US President Joe Biden during a meeting in September. Whether Ukraine receives everything it needs will depend on the US President.

"I think it’s important to present the plan to both Kamala Harris and (Donald) Trump, because we don’t know who will be the US President. And we really want to implement this plan," Zelenskyy said.

In general terms, the main goal is to compel Russia to end the war on terms that are fair to Ukraine. If the plan is executed, this goal could be achieved, according to the President.

Meetings with Biden, Harris, and Trump are scheduled for September as part of a trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Second Peace Summit and Russia’s participation

Zelenskyy confirmed that he is preparing a peace plan for the second Peace Summit but avoided answering whether he expects any extraordinary decisions from Biden at the end of his term. He emphasized that it is crucial to work with Washington because decisions from European partners depend on it.

For the summit, the Ukrainian side must bring detailed points of the peace formula. As for the presence of Russian representatives, it is the desire of other countries.

“They believe that this might create a chance for ending the war…We will prepare a plan, and if the representatives of the Russian Federation wish, they will attend; otherwise, we may lose a significant number of countries at the second Summit," the President added.

Western weapons and Ukrainian ballistic missiles

In response to RBC-Ukraine's question about the arguments Western partners use to maintain restrictions on the use of long-range weapons against Russian territory (such as ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles), Zelenskyy said that they try not to discuss it with him. “But I raise the issue. The Olympics are over, but the ping-pong remains," he noted.

Regarding the threats from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who warned that the use of Storm Shadow missiles would be "playing with fire" and that Russia might reconsider its nuclear strategy, Zelenskyy stated that this indicates fear that Ukraine is close to making such decisions. He added that nuclear threats are part of Russia's standard rhetoric, but it's unlikely that Putin would dare to use nuclear weapons.

"I believe Putin loves his excessively long life too much. Therefore, I think he will cling to his position, the Kremlin, and the support for his actions. The use of nuclear weapons is unlikely to be supported by the entire world. I think there would be a very swift global response. Or we understand nothing about global security if someone is even allowed to consider using nuclear weapons," the President said.

He confirmed that Ukraine has raised the issue of involving foreign F-16 pilots, but the decision is solely up to the United States and they are working on it.

Commenting on the ability to fight in a full-scale format, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukrainian soldiers should not be viewed as mere resources. The real resource is weaponry, and there have been delays with Western supplies, making it necessary to rely on domestic developments. This goes beyond the recently launched Palyanytsia missile drone.

"There was a positive test of the first Ukrainian ballistic missile. I congratulate our defense industry on this. I can't share the details, but still, it's intriguing," he hinted.

Possible compromises with Russia

Despite Western concerns about whether Ukraine can achieve victory militarily, there is no question of trading territory for security guarantees or NATO membership.

"I'm not ready to trade our territories in any negotiations. It's challenging, indeed, because this decision will depend on the support of our partners. We hope they will work faster. The F-16s are a very good result. During the attack on August 26, we shot down some missiles with the help of the F-16s. Of course, it's not enough; we don't have many of them," Zelenskyy said.

In his opinion, Ukraine is not in a position where it should compromise with those who came with the intent to destroy it.

"I understand that the whole world would like to hear that Ukraine has devised a compromise plan to end the war tomorrow. But I won't surprise you. With Putin, it's not just about compromises; today's dialogue is... empty and meaningless. Because he doesn't want to end the war diplomatically, he seems willing to, diplomatically, but only if we give him 30% of our land. I think playing along with him in this is unacceptable," the President noted.

Returning to the Kursk operation, he reiterated that it has been very helpful. The number of voices in the world in favor of a compromise has decreased.

Ministry of Unity and the return of men

The President believes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) physically does not have the capacity to retain the 7.5 million Ukrainians who have left the country. No ministry has faced such challenges before, so a separate institution is needed.

He stated that it is necessary to bring back the adult population, students, and children, but without coercion. The conditions must be created for this. "There is a certain percentage of people who simply cannot find work. This is an example of what this ministry should be doing—providing jobs in Ukraine," he said.

The work should primarily focus on Poland and Germany, where most Ukrainians are located. The decision regarding the Ministry of Unity is expected in the fall.

As for the return of men, Zelenskyy is in favor, but also without coercion. "There’s an important point here. Some Ukrainians work in other countries, while others don’t. I would really like everyone to be here, provided it’s their choice," Zelenskyy added.

The attitude towards traitors, other criminals, and those who left illegally is different. The extradition process is very complex; many countries do not extradite those accused of state treason, as they argue political persecution in court. However, there is an example with Poland, which returns those who illegally crossed the border.

Commenting on the case of the escape of MP Artem Dmytruk, who is accused of assaulting a law enforcement officer and more, the President announced upcoming changes.

"There are a few decisions. In two weeks, law enforcement agencies and border guards will come up with their solutions. This is a big problem. We must believe that there will be results in two weeks. At least, we will understand how to strengthen control and accountability," he said.

What else Zelenskyy said

Russian gas transit

"The agreement with Russia will not be extended; this has been settled. As for the transit of gas from other companies? If there is a request from our European colleagues, we will consider their appeals," he noted.
When asked whether this could be nominally Azerbaijani gas, as Putin and Ilham Aliyev allegedly recently discussed, the president replied that he is not aware of "what the old man was talking about in Azerbaijan."

Members of the Presidential Office

Zelenskyy responded to criticism of the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, and his deputy, Oleh Tatarov.
"Andriy Yermak is one of those who prepared the peace formula, the peace summit. And when I say that we are one team, all these achievements, communications, contacts with the United States, and everything that Ukraine has accomplished, each of them contributed," said the President.
In response to accusations against Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleh Tatarov, he said he did not want to speak out. Still, Tatarov, along with the current head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Vasyl Maliuk, "killed Chechens in Ukraine, in Kyiv."

Personnel changes in the government

"I think we will concentrate on this issue shortly and will be able to vote in the Verkhovna Rada. You will see all the changes, just give us some time," Zelenskyy reported.

Arrest of Pavel Durov and the operation of Telegram

According to him, Durov's arrest in France does not affect the operation of the messenger in Ukraine. He also mentioned that he is unaware of a Ukrainian bill that would regulate Telegram, among other things. "In general, I am very cautious about regulating such processes. Because the Main Intelligence Directorate asks for one thing, another intelligence service for something else, and then the SSU—a third," Zelenskyy added.

When the Crimean Bridge will be destroyed

"HUR knows how to surprise the information space. That's true. If we want something to happen sooner or later, it should happen first, and then we can talk about it," the President added