President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN he is open to a ceasefire with Russia but expects talks to be delayed because U.S. attention has shifted to the conflict with Iran. He warned negotiations on Ukraine are unlikely to progress until the “case of Iran” is resolved or a regional ceasefire is reached, and noted the same U.S. team is reportedly handling both issues. Zelensky said the Iran conflict has disrupted weapons deliveries and limited Ukraine’s domestic production, and called the EU’s €90 billion loan essential for sustaining defense output.
Zelensky Warns Ukraine Talks Can't Wait as U.S. Focus Shifts to Iran Conflict
Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN he is open to a ceasefire with Russia but doesn’t foresee this happening soon because the US attention has “shifted” to the Middle East. President Zelensky told Christiane Amanpour he didn’t see any progress on Ukraine negotiations until “the case of Iran” is “closed” or some kind of “fundamental ceasefire" is reached between the US, Israel and Iran- Clipped From Video
Kyiv, April — Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, told CNN that while he remains open to a ceasefire with Russia, he does not expect meaningful progress soon because U.S. attention has shifted to the conflict involving Iran. Speaking from the presidential office in Kyiv to Christiane Amanpour, Zelensky warned it would be a serious mistake to postpone negotiations on Ukraine until the Iran situation is resolved.
U.S. Focus and Shared Negotiating Team
Zelensky said technical talks with the United States continue, but he does not "see the opportunity to meet … until the question, the case of Iran will be closed." He described it as a challenge that the same U.S. team reported to be handling elements of both the Iran and Ukraine discussions — which, as reported, includes figures such as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — complicating simultaneous progress on both crises.
Ukraine Must Not Be Forgotten
"We will not say that we will speak about Ukraine a little bit later. … Ukraine is not 'a little bit later.' Ukraine is already in such a big tragedy; we have to find a way to manage this in a parallel way," Zelensky said.
He urged that Western partners address Ukraine’s needs in parallel with their other diplomatic priorities so fighting on the ground does not go unanswered while attention shifts elsewhere.
Weapons, Production Limits and EU Aid
Zelensky said the Iran conflict has disrupted deliveries of some critical weapons for Ukraine, notably anti-ballistic missiles, and blamed constrained U.S. production capacity for reduced supplies. He warned that funding shortfalls are limiting Ukraine’s own arms production capability.
Hours after the European Union approved a long-delayed €90 billion loan to Kyiv, Zelensky called the funding a question of "life and surviving" for Ukraine. The loan had been stalled amid objections from Hungary’s outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán, who demanded the resumption of Russian oil transit through Europe. Orbán’s defeat in the recent Hungarian election removed a key obstacle; oil transit through the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline resumed and EU ambassadors gave preliminary agreement to the loan.
Zelensky gave a concrete example of the impact: Ukraine is currently producing roughly 1,000 drone interceptors a day despite having the capacity to make about 2,000. "But we don’t have the funding. It’s really a question of our life, of surviving, for defending, we need this money very much," he said.
Reporting
CNN contributors to this report include Alicia Lloyd, Ana Bickford, Adam Pourahmadi and Victoria Butenko.
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