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Zelenskyy: Ukraine Needs US Guarantees and Advanced Weapons to Deter Future Russian Attacks
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
On October 17, after his White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs firm security guarantees from the United States to prevent future Russian aggression.
“We need the US because only the US now speaks with Russia. Only President Trump has dialogue with Russia, and this is very important,” he told reporters.
“I am afraid—our nation is afraid—that if there is a ceasefire, we need guarantees that Putin won’t come again with aggression.”
Zelenskyy also acknowledged Ukraine’s current limits in defending against ballistic missile strikes, arguing that Ukraine’s air defences and energy infrastructure remain vulnerable without additional pressure and weapons.
“Ukraine has become strong over these years, but we cannot fight ballistic missiles with our own air defenses. Our energy system simply cannot withstand that. We need pressure. A package of appropriate weapons is that pressure.”
He said Russia fears the possible combination of Ukrainian and US-supplied systems, and stressed the need for a mixed set of capabilities—including drones alongside long-range systems such as Tomahawks.
⚡️Zelenskyy: Russians fear the Tomahawk and Ukraine’s own firepower.
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) October 17, 2025
Zelenskyy says Moscow knows what Kyiv produces and “fears the combination.” pic.twitter.com/bTYZcamkn0
“They know what we have in production. In combination with Tomahawks—we’re not only talking about Tomahawks—we need a mix. That’s why they’re afraid, because they understand what we could do. That’s why they’re taking certain steps and sending positive signals—not to Ukraine, of course.”
Asked about Trump’s remark that it may be time to stop, Zelenskyy replied: “President Trump is right about this—yes, both sides have to stop. But between us, it’s about Putin, because we didn’t start this war.”
Earlier, Trump acknowledged that using US weapons to strike deep inside Russia would be escalatory but said the issue remains open for discussion.
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