'Historic absurdity': Zelenskyy mocks Russia's gasoline woes
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Russia, which has long built its economy around energy exports, has, through what Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as its own folly in launching the war, found itself in a position where it is now forced to seek out and import fuel. The Ukrainian president made the remark while answering journalists' questions.
Kremlin's energy paradox
The president described Russia's current attempts to rely on neutral countries such as India, China, Kazakhstan, and Belarus to secure sufficient fuel supplies as a "historic absurdity."
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine has already managed, through diplomatic and other efforts, to significantly disrupt and hinder such supplies.
"A country like Russia, whose economy has always been built around exporting its energy resources, is now busy trying to find fuel somewhere, increasing its ability to purchase and import fuel. Ukraine has already interfered with this. We have already done it," the president said.
He also remarked sarcastically that if former Russian President Boris Yeltsin had known where Putin's aggressive policies would lead more than two decades later, he would have chosen a very different successor.
Other statements by the president
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the United States had officially recognized Ukraine's readiness to produce Patriot air defense systems. At the NATO summit in Ankara, a political decision was made to grant Kyiv the relevant license, and technical teams from both countries are now working on the implementation process.
At the same time, international leaders have noted a significant strengthening of Ukraine's capabilities, while Russian President Vladimir Putin's only major remaining advantage is ballistic missiles. Despite this, Ukraine still has a strategic window of opportunity to better protect its skies.
To help counter aerial threats, the United States is expected to provide Ukraine with a new military aid package in the coming days. It will include scarce interceptor missiles for Patriot systems, while additional missile supplies are expected not only from Washington but also from other partner countries.
