EXCLUSIVE: Zelensky rejects 'long tales', as his forces need months of training to operate advanced weaponry

“I’ve heard these long tales that we will need months to train our forces to use new tanks. Well, they gave us a Soviet-era tank,” Zelensky said in a statement. exclusive interview With CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday. “We are willing to use any kind of equipment, but it has to be delivered very quickly. And we have the ability to learn how to use the new equipment. But it has to come quickly.”

In an interview from the president’s office in Kyiv, Zelensky said that weapons provided by the United States and other countries so far, including the new $800 million Biden administration security assistance package, helped his country resist the Russian invasion. But he said more would be needed, and coaches in his country would be able to quickly speed up his forces.

“I have heard many times from certain countries that do not want to quickly give us weapons because our soldiers are not technically prepared to use them,” he added. “But the trainers of this equipment, our instructors, will prepare our forces to fight in it. If it is an aircraft, for example, the pilots can be ready in two weeks. Whether it is kamikaze drones, artillery, howitzers, or (multiple launch missile) system) MLRS complexes, we have very smart people. We trained with NATO countries. “

Zelensky’s interview with CNN comes as Russia prepares for a new phase in the war after its failure to capture Kyiv. Russian forces are preparing to intensify their offensive in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, including Mariupol. Ukrainian forces Russian ultimatum refused To surrender in Mariupol on Sunday.

In the interview, Zelensky said that Ukraine would not cede territory in the east to Russia and was ready to fight, while also warning that the world should be prepared for the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin Can use tactical nuclear weapons.

Zelensky vows that troops in Mariupol will not surrender

Zelensky told CNN that Ukrainian forces remain in The besieged city of Mariupol He will not surrender to Russia, saying that he does not believe that Russia will allow people to leave Mariupol unharmed.

“They say they are ready to let all the military go if they surrender. But they will not surrender. They don’t want to do that and that is why it is a complicated and tragic situation because the military does not want to surrender. Without that, the Russians are not ready to let them go,” Zelensky said. “When you can make a deal with the Russians to let them go, unarmed, but then, what they’ll do is shoot them dead. That’s why no one trusts Russia now.”

Zelensky added that Ukraine wanted to transfer the wounded from Mariupol, but Russian forces did not allow them to do so.

“We wanted to transport the wounded,” he said. “We talked about it being a humanitarian mission. Bring the wounded back to us.” “We have made plans for Turkey to be a mediator and get the wounded civilians and military out. They don’t let them out because we understand that Russia just wants to shoot them.”

“We wanted to transport the wounded. We talked about it being a humanitarian mission. Bring the wounded back to us!” He said. “We have made plans for Turkey to be a mediator and get the wounded civilians and military out. They don’t let them out because we understand that Russia just wants to shoot them.”

The situation in Mariupol is bleak. Most of the city was destroyed by Russian bombing. The civilian structures targeted included a maternity hospital and a theater where up to 1,300 people were seeking asylum.

Although many have fled, an estimated 100,000 people remain in the city and its immediate surroundings, which is reported to be largely under Russian control.

Zelensky pushed European countries to cut off Russian oil. Asked about Russian fuel flowing through pipelines in Ukraine, Zelensky said, “Yes, we understand this problem.”

Mariupol defenders seek last stand as Russia threatens to

“We understand how much money Russia makes from energy tankers. And yes, first of all, we’re calling for an oil embargo because they earn a billion a day from oil. We’re calling for a gas embargo after that,” Zelensky said. “And we are fighting together and looking at these options. But this is a transit. We have a transit agreement. That is why it is necessary to have an agreement between Europe and Russia, so they have a gas embargo. Then there there will be no transit.”

Zelensky added that Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian gas pipelines in an attempt to signal to European countries that they cannot rely on Ukraine.

“This is what Russia is aiming for. They are trying to act in this way to show that Ukraine is not able to supply gas safely,” Zelensky said. “They’ve been doing it and they’ve been doing it for a while because they want a chance to reopen Nord Stream 2. And we’re watching that constantly. I’ve already talked about it with our European partners, I don’t want to say what leaders I’ve talked to. I told them, please put a gas ban, from Please. We are ready to lose money. Money is not the most important thing to us. People are the most important.”