Ukraine will be ready for a ceasefire if it has the means to defend itself, stated Zelensky.

Ukraine may consider a ceasefire option if Western partners provide the necessary weapons for protection against a potential renewed attack and continue sanctions against Russia. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman on January 5.

According to the president, for a ceasefire to be established, Ukraine must have security guarantees. He believes that joining NATO, with the extension of the collective defense article to the unoccupied territories of Ukraine, could serve as such guarantees.

“NATO means strong security guarantees for all people, for us, part of the security guarantee. The second part is a package of weapons. We will not use it. If cease-fire will work, no one will use weapons. Why would we? But it must remain. Not like it was before, with all due respect to the US and the administration. But I do not want the situation to repeat itself as it did with Biden,” the president stated.

Zelensky also mentioned that weapons and the continuation of sanctions against Russia, which prevent the occupiers' military-industrial complex from being replenished, serve as security guarantees.

“I am asking, please, for sanctions now. Weapons now. And then we will see if they will start. Of course, we will be happy if you give us even more and stand with us shoulder to shoulder,” he said.

In Volodymyr Zelensky's opinion, Russia would not have been able to occupy such a large number of Ukrainian territories if Western partners had provided military assistance “here and now.” The president did not specify what kind of weapons Ukraine needs for a ceasefire.

“I am not ready to publicly say what this is. Everything is written down. And President Trump may have this – I mean, there are no secrets for him. But mostly, it depends on the will of the United States. Because partly the EU will give, and partly the US together. This issue does not concern only the United States,” Zelensky said.

Recall that in October 2024, Volodymyr Zelensky publicly shared Ukraine's "victory plan" – according to The New York Times, it involved the transfer of Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of hitting targets 2,500 km away – at Ukraine's suggestion, the armament could be a “non-nuclear deterrence package” – one of the points of Ukraine's "victory plan" announced by the president on October 16. However, the publication reported that the US received Zelensky's proposal “with skepticism.”

On October 30, Zelensky reacted to media reports and confirmed that he had requested the provision of missiles. At the same time, he noted that the provision of such weapons was discussed under conditions of complete confidentiality, which “means that there is nothing confidential between partners.”