“I informed the chancellor about intelligence indicating that Russia is preparing a new large-scale strike against Ukrainian cities and communities. It is crucial that partners respond jointly to these attacks, particularly through the supply of anti-ballistic air defense systems,” Zelenskyy said.
Later, Zelenskyy said Russia continues to rely on military escalation rather than diplomacy.
“We have intelligence indicating that Russia is preparing another massive strike. It is important that all our partners understand what is happening and that Russia continues to rely on missiles and further warfare instead of diplomatic steps. Above all, this means additional sanctions pressure on Russia is needed, and the implementation of our agreements with partners on air defense cannot be delayed,” he said.
Zelenskyy also met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to discuss how partners can help Ukraine in the face of threats of new large-scale Russian attacks.
“We discussed the relevant tasks with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha: what needs to be done in the coming weeks and which steps by our partners can most effectively strengthen our defense. Anti-ballistic capabilities remain the key priority. We are also preparing detailed proposals for a new European sanctions package and additional measures to prevent the circumvention of existing sanctions,” Zelenskyy added.
On May 29, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, said Russian propaganda had effectively admitted that Moscow’s forces do not distinguish between military and civilian targets during attacks on Kyiv.
Russian threats of new strikes on Kyiv
On May 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a phone call that Russia was “beginning strikes on targets in Kyiv,” according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Lavrov also said the United States should evacuate its diplomatic personnel from Kyiv.
Earlier that day, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Russian forces were beginning a “systematic series of strikes” against military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and urged foreign nationals to leave the Ukrainian capital “as soon as possible.”
The ministry repeated claims about a Ukrainian attack on a university in Starobilsk and said the incident had supposedly “exhausted Russia’s patience,” prompting strikes on Kyiv. Moscow accused Ukraine of violating the Geneva Conventions while making no mention of its daily attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities that have killed civilians.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, previously said Vladimir Putin was using attacks on civilians to mask his inability to protect Russia itself.
European Union Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said diplomats and foreign nationals have no plans to leave Kyiv despite Russian threats of another large-scale strike on the capital.