(Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he had instructed his defence minister and other officials to secure precise information on military supplies after the United States announced it was pausing assistance.
“I have instructed Ukraine’s minister of defence, intelligence chief and diplomats to contact their counterparts in the United States and obtain official information,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. “People should not be left to guess.”
He said maintaining a “normal, partnership relationship with America is crucial for truly ending the war. None of us wants an endless war.”
Zelenskiy said Ukraine sought “constructive cooperation and true partnership” with Washington and again expressed regret over the acrimonious exchanges during his meeting last week in the Oval Office in Washington.
“What happened at the White House, instead of our planned negotiations, was regrettable,” he said. “But we must find the strength to move forward, respect one another – as we have always respected America.”
Zelenskiy also noted that Russia more than three years into the war had not altered its positions on Ukraine.
“They will demand a reduction of our army, they will want a legal renunciation of our territories and also a significant political deformation of the Ukrainian constitution,” he said.
“In reality as long as we in Ukraine all stand together and strong, as long as we are here, no one will succeed in this. Our peace will be a dignified one.”
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
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