Zelenskyy warns Kremlin officials to know shelters as Ukraine awaits U.S. long-range weapons

“They should know where the bomb shelters are. They need this. If they do not stop the war, they will need it anyway,” Zelenskyy said of Kremlin officials.

He clarified that Ukraine does not intend to use long-range weapons against Russia’s civilian population, since “we are not terrorists.” But centers of Russian power, such as the Kremlin, could become potential targets, which he believes would force Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table.

Zelenskyy added that President Donald Trump, during their meeting, supported his position that Ukraine can strike back in response to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s specific request was for a new weapons system, Zelenskyy said, but he declined to specify which one. According to him, Trump replied that he “would work on it.”

“We need it, but that does not mean we will use it. Because if we get it, I think it will be additional pressure on Putin to sit down and start talking,” the Ukrainian president said.

On Sept. 23, the Ukrainian and U.S. leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Zelenskyy described the talks as “good” and “the most comprehensive of all.”

After the meeting, Trump wrote about Russia’s economic problems and said Ukraine, with EU support, has every opportunity to fight and regain all its territory “in its original form.”

He also said the war in Ukraine does not appear to be ending anytime soon, but that Ukraine is “doing very well in stopping this very large army.”