Zelenskyy: Russia plans to seize Odesa and reach the borders with Moldova and Romania.

Considering this, Ukraine needs protection and long-term guarantees, said President Zelenskyy at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Odesa.

“I ask you all to consider security guarantees after this war as a practical necessity. From air defense to cyber threats, we need real means of deterrence and rapid response,” he stressed.

Zelenskyy also called for strengthening sanctions against Russia. According to him, the 18th sanctions package, the details of which the EU announced the day before, “could be stronger.”

“And regarding the oil price cap. Real peace will come with a limit of $30 – this is a level that will really change the thinking in Moscow,” the Ukrainian leader noted.

The president also stated that Russian dictator Putin agrees to negotiations only for appearances, in order to avoid new sanctions, and is trying to isolate Ukraine from its Western partners by demanding negotiations without the participation of the US and the EU. According to the Ukrainian president, Putin is interested in a long war, but only on the condition that Ukraine remains without external support.