FOX News correspondent Benjamin Hall recently spoke with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky for a wide-ranging interview during his first visit to Ukraine since he was nearly killed while covering the war in March 2022.
The two men discussed whether Ukraine’s war against Russia was at an impasse and whether Israel-Hamas Warnow in its seventh week, has overshadowed Ukraine’s efforts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Fox’s Ben Hall. (Fox News)
Zelensky acknowledged that the conflict between Israel and Hamas poses a challenge for the world, but warned that ignoring Russia would be at the West’s peril.
“We have given many messages to Iran not to give drones (to Russia), not to give them licenses for production and for the construction of a new production plant for drones,” Zelensky said.
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According to the Pentagon, Russia relied on Provided by Iran of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in Ukraine throughout the war to compensate for its dwindling stocks.
Zelensky argued that Ukraine is “at the center of global risks” and that Russia will continue to be emboldened by its actions without significant resistance from the global community.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discusses the challenges Ukraine faces in the shadow of the war between Israel and Hamas. (Fox News)
Ukraine’s setbacks come ahead of U.S. presidential elections, which will have profound implications for continued support for the war effort.
Former President Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate in the 2024 election, said he could reach a peace deal “very quickly,” prompting Zelensky to invite him to Ukraine.
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“I invite President Trump. If he can come here, I will need… 24 minutes to explain to President Trump that he cannot manage this war,” Zelensky said. told NBC’s “Meet the Press” earlier this month. “He can’t bring peace because of Putin.”
Continued support for Ukraine’s war effort ultimately depends on an aid package passed by Congress. President Biden called on Congress to support a $106 billion supplemental spending bill, allocating about $61.4 billion to Ukraine, $14.4 billion to Israel, $13.6 billion for protection along the U.S.-Mexico border and about $10 billion for humanitarian aid.
Ukrainian servicemen ride an APC towards frontline positions near Vuhledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Libkos)
“I hope that Congress will help us, and I hope that the help from the United States will be for the Ukrainian people,” Zelensky told Hall. “And I hope the United States will stand with us against Russian terrorism.”
Speaking to a growing number of Americans who believe the funds would be better spent on Americans, Zelenskyy noted that much of the money returns to the United States through production and employment.
“When you produce for Ukraine and with Ukraine, you also produce it with the Americans. So the main thing will be production in your states,” he said.
Zelensky played down reports of a standoff between Ukraine and Russia, pointing to gradual progress in the Black Sea.
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian National Police, firefighters work to put out a fire after a Russian attack in a neighborhood of apartment buildings in the city of Uman, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Kiev, Ukraine, Friday April 28. 2023. (National Police of Ukraine via AP)
“Every day I think we succeeded,” Zelensky said. “In Crimea, we had success in the Black Sea. We really destroyed… part of the Russian fleet… They don’t have such total influence over the Black Sea region.”
Zelensky offered his condolences to Oleksandra “Sasha” Kushinova, a Fox News consultant who was killed alongside Pierre Zakzewski and while on the ground with Hall in Ukraine last year.
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“I wanted to offer my condolences to all the parents (and) loved ones of these very brave men, women and men who lost their lives because they really wanted to help Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “We will never forget it.”
Danielle Wallace of Fox News contributed to this report.
