Zelenskyy says "more pressure" is needed to get Putin to table to negotiate peace deal

[0:00] As we await developments in the back and forth between the U.S. and Iran over a framework for [0:05] a truce in the now three-month-long war, CBS News has learned that the president made further edits [0:11] to the U.S. proposal on Friday, and mediators now wait on Iran's response. We begin today with [0:18] Ukrainian fears that Russia will soon stage a massive attack on Kyiv, which sources tell CBS [0:23] News could include strikes on the presidential office and government buildings. When we spoke [0:29] exclusively to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, he told us about the [0:34] increased attacks from the Russians in recent weeks and the dire need for assistance from the U.S. [0:41] We think that we will have a big attack from Russian side using drones, using cruise missiles [0:49] and ballistic, and we see the preparation. Always we see the preparation. By the way, [0:56] we are thankful to United States and European partners when they share with us intelligence. [1:03] So when we know that Russia prepares a big massive attack, definitely our partners also know, maybe [1:10] not a lot of details, but we know. We have each day attack from Russian side on civilians and of course [1:20] on the battlefield. And two times a week or two times per 10 days, they have big massive attacks with [1:28] ballistic and etc. Last massive attack, just to understand, it was some days ago, it was 600 drones, [1:40] Iranian drones, Shahids. And they had 35, about 30 plus ballistic missiles. And totally, it was 90 missiles [1:53] and more than 600 Iranian drones. So it was very difficult to destroy it. We use all our weapons, [2:01] what we have, what we produce. And of course, we use anti-ballistic missiles. This is the biggest deficit for us. [2:07] We're hearing from European countries that Russia is taking more and more operational risks [2:16] in Europe. Why do you think Vladimir Putin is taking these risks at this moment? [2:22] First of all, it's not the first time. Yes, he's doing such pressure. I think it's political pressure. [2:30] It's messages from Russia. Don't help Ukraine. I think this is the most usual meaning, what he used. [2:40] Don't, if you will help Ukraine, I will do these such steps. So he began, he tried once crossing, [2:49] at the very beginning of this war, he did it in Romania. And then a little bit later, it was in Poland, [2:57] when they used 21 drones. Usually, we try to catch all the drones, even when they go in their direction [3:05] to other countries, like Romania, Moldova, or the direction of Poland. We try to catch everything. [3:14] If we can't, of course, we give these messages to our partners. We try to help them. And also, [3:20] the same with the Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia, Latvia. So Russia uses this just to attack politically, [3:29] and by weapon pressure on NATO countries to look and the reaction. So the reaction, I think the reaction [3:39] has to be more strong from the unity of NATO countries. And I think that Putin is comparing [3:47] how this reaction and how it's changed during this one year or two years, three years. [3:52] This is the way how, and he also, the testing of air defense of other countries, NATO countries, [4:01] which are bordering us or bordering Belarus or Russia. So he's testing what air defense they have. [4:07] Can they destroy all the missiles or drones? This is what I think. [4:14] You sent a personal letter to the White House and to Congress within the past few days explaining [4:23] that ballistic missiles, as you put it, remain Vladimir Putin's last major battlefield advantage. [4:31] You need a surge of interceptors to take these missiles out. Have you gotten a response from America? [4:38] This is the biggest, this is the priority for us and big, big challenge. We had very difficult, tough winter. [4:48] Russia attacked us by a lot of ballistic missiles on our energy, infrastructure, water supply, schools. [4:57] It was very difficult. Now we see big deficit. Of course, one of the reasons it's the situation in the Middle East [5:06] with Iranian war. And we see that the deficit is increasing and we need to hurry up to rush and to send messages [5:16] and meetings and do a lot of meetings with other partners. We don't see enough missiles in production [5:24] of the United States. We see that this is, it can be crisis in the world, including Middle East. Of course, [5:32] I hope God bless that the ceasefire will be long and lasting peace. I wish it to Middle East countries [5:40] and to the United States. And I hope that President Trump and his team and American side will negotiate [5:48] ceasefire. But what we see, we have to prepare for the challenges. And we in Ukraine, we don't have [5:54] ceasefire. We have long five years war. And we see that Russia is increasing in their internal production, [6:03] the production of ballistic missiles. And we have deficit with anti-ballistics. This is a big problem. [6:10] I sent a letter to the White House and Congress of the United States, and I hope that they will understand [6:17] and will answer, respond. And this is very important. We need to increase the production. [6:24] Secretary of State Rubio recently said that Ukraine has the strongest military in all of Europe. [6:32] The Army Secretary of the United States called the Ukrainian battlefield the Silicon Valley of war, [6:38] praising how you've integrated AI and anti-drone technology. So you have this edge on this type of warfare. [6:46] Can you use it in any way to take down these Russian missiles? Or are you [6:53] solely dependent on American manufacturing to help? [6:56] When we've got messages to help in the Middle East to defend some bases with American soldiers and also [7:05] infrastructure of Middle East countries like Saudi or Emirates and et cetera. And I came with our [7:13] groups. We sent to more than 200 our experts. Such a level of source and different kind of interceptors, [7:25] radars, systems of electronic warfare, and nobody has. Secretary is right. So we have, and we can destroy [7:34] all kinds of drones. We can destroy a lot of different missiles, but we don't have still in our total [7:42] program and system. We don't have anti-ballistics. This is the biggest problem. Yes, we are on the way. [7:49] By the way, I wanted to say, we will build it. I know, but we need time for this. But during this time, [7:56] we lose people. And we remember that the United States helped us from the very beginning of this war. [8:02] So, of course, we are very thankful and we are ready to share what we have. But until the moment, [8:08] we will produce our European anti-ballistic system. To this moment, we need support from the United [8:15] States. Secretary Rubio said there are no negotiations scheduled between Russia and Ukraine. [8:22] He seems to be acknowledging this is completely stalled. President Putin's spokesperson said it is too [8:29] early to speak in specifics about the end of the war. Do you think Russia can ever come to negotiate [8:37] an end? Yes, of course. We are ready to speak bilaterally with Russia. I'm ready to meet with Putin [8:46] if he will be ready. I think we need more sanctions. I think we need more pressure. And you asked [8:54] when they will be ready and if they will be ready. Theoretically, I think, yes, more sanctions, [9:03] more pressure, they will be ready for the dialogue. Even now, they have losses, 30-35,000 Russian soldiers [9:12] per month. And it's a huge number of losses. Really? We increased this number. I mean, they increased the [9:21] number to attack us. And that's why the number of losses is where it may. And each month, you have [9:29] to know that they mobilize, I think, the same very comparable number with the losses. So this is a [9:37] problem for them, the deficit of people. And they are on the way to the big crisis with the people. I [9:43] think that all these things will push them to the dialogue. When is the last time you heard from [9:50] Secretary Rubio or Steve Whitkoff or Jared Kushner, the president's peace envoys? And will they ever [9:57] come to Kyiv? Yes, we count on their coming to Kyiv. I hope that they will find a possibility to come [10:07] during two weeks. But at least I got such message from my negotiation group. They told me that they had [10:15] contacts with Steve and Jared and they said that they are ready to come to Ukraine and to speak if, [10:25] of course, if, always if, you know, Margaret, and today if it means Middle East. So I don't know what [10:34] will be in the Middle East and how you close two negotiations, positive one. Again, hope so. So I don't [10:40] know it. But I think that we need to see American negotiation group in Ukraine. They've never been [10:47] here. I think it's important not all also for us. It's useful for them to understand, to see, to see [10:54] people that the life is going on. But we want to stop this war. It's meant to stop Russia. They've been [11:00] several times in Moscow. I said previously about it. If they want to go this time to Moscow, they have to [11:08] come to Kyiv and then go to Moscow. I think it will be helpful. Before I let you go, I just want to come [11:13] back to what you mentioned in regard to drone technology and this offer that you made to the [11:18] United States. Is the deal progressing or is it stalled? So we wanted very much to do the first drone [11:28] deal with the United States, like with the first strategic partner. But the United States wanted to [11:35] check all our types of drones. We accepted, I accepted this document this way, how they wanted [11:44] first to train, to check, to use it in the sky, on the water, because we have not only sky drones, [11:52] we have sea drones and et cetera. So I accepted this way, but we still didn't accept a drone deal like the [12:01] big document. I hope that we are on the way. But we have already drawn deals with some Middle East [12:07] countries and we have already drawn deals with some European countries. Now we're preparing the big [12:13] drone deal with EU. And I hope that we will have such decisions with American partners. I count on it. [12:22] You count on it. And you need to keep working with Silicon Valley and American technology companies on this? [12:27] We want very much, yes, because American technology companies, they have a lot of different [12:34] interesting AI technologies, what we don't have. And we have a lot of things what they don't have [12:39] because our experience on the battlefield. I think these corporations can be huge and the most powerful [12:48] in the world. So we need to negotiate already, not to speak about it, just to make steps and to do it as [12:55] quick as possible. You need President Trump to say yes, it sounds like. Yes, we need President Trump to say [13:02] yes. Our full interview with President Zelensky is available on our website, YouTube page and our podcast.