'We are for western values': Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top advisor urges allies to keep helping stop Russia

05 October 2022

Mykhailo Podolyak, one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top advisers who engaged in peace negotiations with Russia in the spring and summer, reaffirmed his nation's commitment to completely reclaiming all of its territories that have been illegally annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a powerful interview with CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday.

Speaking through a translator, Podolyak emphasized that stopping Putin's nuclear blackmail and imperialist ambitions, as well as Ukraine winning its battle for survival, hinges on the continued materiel support of the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies.

The crux of the fight, he said, is Ukraine's right to be free.

The following dialogue is an excerpt of a rush transcript provided by CNN.

Amanpour:

Because of Russia's threats, will Ukraine go any slower?

Will Ukraine back off or will you continue to try to liberate all the territory, including what they say they've annexed?

Podolyak:

It is a very good question. It's a question of liberty, of values, of freedom. Ukraine is not waging war against Russia. Ukraine wants to protect the key and fundamental rights for freedom, for democracy, for choice, as an optional form of the existence of the society.

That's why we have a key consensus. We are for western values. We want to liberate all of our territory. It means of two things will stop. First, war will stop. Second, the Russian Federation expansionist will stop. Because if we won't stop it, Russia will be doing like -- acting like that on and on and on. That's why all the threats by the Russian Federation will not stop Ukraine in order to liberate our territory.

And we'll reach the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine, including the occupied territories back in 2014.

Amanpour:

That's an ambitious agenda because you're talking about Crimea and elsewhere. But let me ask you then, do you have now the weaponry, the assistance, the money that you need to be able to keep pushing your military objective and to hold the current victories, the current territories that you have one back?

Podolyak:

Firstly, this is not an ambitious plan. This is a plan of peace.

Because if Russia won't be stopped in Ukraine, it will be spreading all over the world. It will be waging other wars. Will be provoking other countries. Will be creating those criminal enclaves. Will be attacking the European Union. And will be blackmailing certain political forces in Europe and elsewhere. This is not an ambitious target.

This is something that should be done.

Secondly, as to the money and the military equipment, this war is of high technological nature. And this is artillery war. And I want to emphasize, the American weapons, the artillery, the rockets proved that this is more effective than the Russian Federation uses against Ukraine. It's more modern. And it allows us to achieve bigger results.

Of course, we believe that we can -- will receive more munition -- receiving more munition and rockets because it will make things faster, make it quicker, the (INAUDIBLE). The end -- to put an end to this war. And we're expecting this from our partners.

As to the support, we're absolutely honest that without any support, first of all, from the United States, there won't be this quality of counterattack of our achievements on the battlefield.

And this is -- but now, this is a key task to liberate all of our territory with the help of our partners. We'll put Russia in its place and it will have an opportunity to transform internally in a political way after the -- losing the war against Ukraine.

Watch below or at this link.

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