Zelensky tells CNN talks on Ukraine cannot wait until after the war in Iran is over

President Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine’s survival depends on the U.S. maintaining focus and weapon supplies despite the distracting war in Iran, as a major €90 billion EU loan finally moves forward.

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that delay in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict while the U.S. focuses on the war in Iran is a “big risk.” Zelensky expressed concern that the same U.S. negotiating team, led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, is managing both diplomatic fronts, potentially stretching resources too thin. He emphasized that Ukraine’s tragedy cannot be treated as a secondary issue and called for a “parallel” diplomatic strategy to address both global crises simultaneously.

The Ukrainian leader also highlighted critical shortages in defensive weaponry, specifically anti-ballistic missiles, which he claimed are being diverted due to limited U.S. production capacity. Despite having the industrial capacity to double its daily production of drone interceptors, Zelensky noted that a lack of liquid funding has hampered domestic manufacturing. He stressed that military and financial aid are now a matter of “life and surviving” for the nation as it faces continued Russian aggression.

The interview followed a significant diplomatic breakthrough in Europe, where the EU finally approved a long-delayed €90 billion loan for Kyiv. The funding had been stalled by Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, but his recent landslide election defeat cleared the way for a preliminary agreement. Following the restart of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, the influx of capital is expected to provide a vital lifeline to Ukraine’s struggling defense industry and state budget.

READ MORE FROM CNN