The fact that Russia is now building bases on Europe’s doorstep, even in places where no military bases existed in Soviet times, clearly shows that without Ukraine, without our capabilities and our experience, Europe could face enormous difficulties. From President Zelenskyy’s address.

Every day, including today and in the coming days, please pay attention to air-raid alerts. We understand who we are dealing with and what Russia is counting on. Instead of peace, they choose missiles. They have no other cards left. We must rely on our own strength and vigilance. Please stay safe. From President Zelenskyy’s address.

Today, I signed a decree establishing a new special day – the Day of the Unmanned Systems Forces. From now on, it will be observed every year on June 11. A day of our respect and gratitude to the USF. For the first time in the world, such a branch of the military was created – in Ukraine. We are developing the USF to the max, and it is Ukrainians who have proved that through technology, ingenuity, and courage, we can change the nature of warfare. We can achieve objectives that were previously either completely out of reach of conventional weapons or extremely difficult to achieve and required an enormous expenditure of resources. In just one year since the establishment of the USF Grouping, Russian targets of various levels worth nearly $40 billion have been struck. Most importantly, these are different types of strikes, and each one expands our ability to save lives. The Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are truly a model for many other militaries.

President Zelenskyy presented state awards to Ukrainian and foreign media professionals on the occasion of Journalist’s Day. The Order of Merit, III class, was awarded to: Nataliya Gumenyuk @ngumenyuk, Natalia Husak, Kostiantyn Doroshenko, Igor Kazanzhy, Andrew Kravchenko @kravchenkofoto, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Robert Opalenik, Pavlo Pavlov, Andriy Pochtiev, Liubov Rudia, Yegor Terletskyi, Sergiy Tomilenko @Stommedia, and Oleksandr Khimich. The Order of Princess Olga, II class, was awarded to Yuliia Kyriienko-Merinova. The Order of Princess Olga, III class, was awarded to: Ella Bilostotska, Olena Blizniakova, Victoria Butenko, Kseniia Vasylenko, Olga Dunska, Nelly Kovalska, Daryna Krasnolutska @DarynaKrasno, Kateryna Lisunova @KaterynaLis, Ghanna Mamonova, Karina Piliuhina @karinapiliuhina, Valerie Proshchenko @lproschenko, Elvina Seitbullaeva @seitbullaieva, Sofiia Troshchuk, and Gulsum Khalilova @KhalilovaGulsum. The Order of Merit, III class, was also awarded to foreign journalists: Zarina Zabrisky @ZarinaZabrisky, Ibrahim Naber @IbraNaber, Caolan Patrick Robertson @CaolanReports, and Stephane Siohan @stefsiohan. The President conferred the honorary title Merited Journalist of Ukraine on Oleg Borysov, Natalia Bratushka, Ihor Darmostuk, and Serhii Cherevatyi. In addition, the Head of State awarded the Order of Merit, III class, posthumously to Viktoria Bobrova (Kvitka). president.gov.ua/documents/4…

Unfortunately, the Russian side once again chooses war – everyone heard the response today. Weak response. He simply does not want to end the war. I think many around the world were disappointed by that response. He does not want to change anything, and he does not want to admit that this war appeals only to him – and to those who are making money off him. They were all smiling very broadly today. That means Russia must have less money, and there must be more pressure on Russia. I thank everyone who is helping us. I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine and wants a real peace.

There is progress in our negotiations with the European Union regarding Ukraine’s membership. We will have a very clear schedule of opportunities for moving forward in the negotiations, especially after the changes in Hungary. We met the deadlines. Now, already in June, we strongly expect to move to the opening of the clusters, which Ukraine has prepared. We've done our part. Now it’s up to the European Union.

Of course, the United States – we are in daily contact with them. We very much expect them to shift their focus from the Iranian issue to European matters. The war that Russia launched against Europe is, in fact, a war it is waging against the entire democratic world, and everyone must do their part to stop Russian aggression and its constant attempts to destabilize everyone around it. From President Zelenskyy’s evening address.

President Zelenskyy’s address at the first NATO–Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv.

Once again, Putin and his madness have “claimed victory” over the lives of ordinary children, residential buildings, and a clinic in Kyiv. “Shaheds” targeted high-rise buildings in Dnipro and, for some reason, also a car dealership with Chinese-made cars in Kyiv. A Zircon missile struck seven buildings at once. “Shaheds” also hit residential buildings in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and the Poltava region. There were strikes in the Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kherson regions. “Shaheds” struck the Khmelnytskyi region as well. Every single one of these drones, all types of Russian missiles, cannot be produced at all without components imported from other countries. This means that in every such strike there is – perhaps not always conscious, but still real – complicity of those who work for Russia, who supply Russia with money, who help it bypass sanctions and find not just one or two, but thousands of components without which Russian military production would simply come to a halt. Five Kalibr missiles contain 145 such components. Thirty-three Iskander missiles contain 1,122 components. Six hundred and fifty strike drones of various types contain more than 17,000 components, without which they could not be produced. These are large-scale schemes designed to bypass sanctions. And this is absolutely real complicity in the killings. From President Zelenskyy’s evening address.

In May, the President held 26 international meetings and 16 phone calls. He made visits to Armenia, Bahrain, Romania, and Sweden. ➡️ With mediation by the American side, an agreement was reached to hold a 1,000-for-1,000 POW exchange. The first stage took place on May 15 – 205 Ukrainians returned home. ➡️ In Yerevan, the Head of State took part in the European Political Community Summit. This was the first visit by a President of Ukraine to Armenia in the past 24 years. ➡️ In Manama, during his first visit to Bahrain, Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa a Drone Deal and proposed scaling up cooperation with Bahrain. This was the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries since 2003. ➡️ In Bucharest, the President took part in the B9 and Nordic Allies Summit and concluded a Drone Deal with Lithuania. Overall, Ukraine has already signed five agreements with partners in the Drone Deal format, with work ongoing on 20 more. ➡️ In Uppsala, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson agreed on Ukraine’s acquisition of up to 20 latest Gripen E/F aircraft. EUR 2.5 billion from the European Union support package will be allocated for this. The leaders also signed a Joint Declaration on Enhanced Security and Defense Cooperation. Defense packages and other assistance: ➡️ Sweden: a USD 2.7 billion assistance package, under which Ukraine will receive 16 Gripen C/D fighter jets. ➡️ Norway: around USD 300 million for the PURL initiative and a EUR 40 million grant to support Ukraine’s energy resilience. ➡️ Canada: USD 200 million for the PURL initiative. ➡️ Finland: a EUR 128 million military assistance package. ➡️ Japan: its first contribution to the PURL initiative, amounting to nearly USD 15 million. ➡️ Spain: USD 58 million for the PURL initiative.

There has been another interception of a Russian tanker – thank you, France. It is important that Europe takes a strong step and modernizes its legislation so that such tankers can not only be stopped, but also seized. The oil Russia is so eager to use to finance its war should instead be used to finance protection against aggression. From President Zelenskyy’s evening address.

Russia is now threatening other nearby countries far more openly than before. Every neighbor of Russia heard what was said about Armenia, whose people are the only ones who have the right to decide and will choose the future of their country. What Russia says about Armenia is, in truth, not about Armenia alone. No one can be left without support – Europe has no right to lose any of its peoples, to leave any country behind. Armenia must be supported. Moldova must be supported. The Baltic states. Azerbaijan must be supported. We must find ways to support the people of Georgia as well – and this is a shared European task. No one can be lost.

Ukraine will support Romania – our military and our specialists will work to strengthen the protection of the skies. From President Zelenskyy’s evening address.

During a working visit to Sweden, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, signed the Joint Declaration on Enhanced Security and Defense Cooperation. Sweden announced its largest – the 22nd – defense support package for Ukraine, worth $2.7 billion, which will include Gripen fighter jets. Sweden will transfer 16 Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine – deliveries are expected at the beginning of 2027. The aircraft will arrive in Ukraine with a matching weapons package, which will among other things help defend against Russian guided aerial bombs. Ukraine will also have the opportunity to purchase up to 20 next-generation Gripen E/F aircraft worth €2.5 billion, to be financed from the European support package. This is the result of consistent and effective cooperation between Ukraine and Sweden over recent years. February 2026 – the Defense Ministers of Sweden and Denmark announced joint funding and procurement of air defense systems for Ukraine worth $290 million. In February, Stockholm approved the 21st military support package worth $1.42 billion. It primarily includes air defense assets, long-range weapons, and ammunition. December 2025 – the Government of Sweden adopted the state budget for 2026, in which it reduced funding for development programs in other countries in order to fully redirect and increase these funds toward financial and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and support for its recovery. October 2025 – during the President of Ukraine’s visit to Sweden, the Letter of Intent Concerning Cooperation in the Field of Air Capabilities was signed between the countries, which laid the legal foundation for the transfer of Gripen fighter jets. Also in October, Sweden, together with the Nordic and Baltic countries, signed a multilateral Memorandum of Understanding on the training of Ukrainian military personnel and the equipping of a Ukrainian brigade. May 2024 – in Stockholm, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ulf Kristersson signed the Agreement on Security Cooperation and a ten-year long-term support. At that time, Sweden first agreed to transfer unique ASC 890 airborne early warning aircraft, Archer artillery systems, and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, with the prospect of localizing their production and maintenance in Ukraine. Overall, since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Sweden has allocated more than $13.5 billion in support for Ukraine, including $10.4 billion in military assistance, $2.6 billion in humanitarian assistance, and $500 million in financial support.

Ukraine and Sweden agreed to launch a defense deal providing for the procurement of Gripen fighter jets. ➡️ President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson have initiated the conclusion of a major defense deal, providing for the procurement of 20 Gripen E/F fighter jets. Ukraine plans to allocate €2.5 billion for this from financing provided by the European Union under the Ukraine Support Loan. ➡️ Following the implementation of this agreement, Sweden will transfer 16 Gripen C/D fighter jets to Ukraine as bilateral assistance. ➡️ Sweden has also announced its largest military assistance package to Ukraine to date, worth $2.7 billion. In addition to the decision on Gripen deliveries, it includes long-range capabilities, ammunition, electronic warfare systems, and support for innovation.

This week, I prepared a special letter addressed to the President of the United States and to Congress. And yesterday, the letter was officially delivered to the institutions in Washington. It is quite rare for the leader of another state to address both the President and Congress of the United States simultaneously with a letter. But the situation now requires action, swift and effective action. It is important that America hear Ukraine. We understand that much of the world’s attention is currently focused on the war in Iran. But the war here in Europe must also be brought to an end – a very bloody war that is already in its fifth year at full scale. The sooner we are able to provide greater protection against ballistic threats, the sooner we will be able to make diplomacy work. As long as Russia continues to rely on missiles, its interest in diplomacy is not real. We must correct this. And we can do so only together with America. Ukraine is grateful to America for all its support. And Ukraine will be even more grateful for a dignified peace and guaranteed security. All of this is possible – if there is sufficient determination.

We are working with all our partners on air defense for Ukraine – this is the first priority. Anti-ballistic capabilities are now in short supply globally because of the war with Iran, but we must look for solutions. We are trying to accelerate work in Europe on producing our own anti-ballistic capabilities on the continent in sufficient quantities. We will also continue engaging with the United States regarding its ability to support Ukraine. The PURL program is working, and we are grateful for that. Europe is helping us financially. But strong leadership from the United States in expanding anti-ballistic production is also urgently needed.

Since last night, first responders and all necessary services have been working wherever needed. As of now, at least 83 people have been confirmed injured since midnight. Tragically, there are fatalities. My condolences to the families and loved ones. It was a heavy attack – 90 missiles of various types, many of them ballistic missiles – 36 in total. There were 600 drones. Unfortunately, not all of the ballistic missiles were intercepted – the largest number of hits was in Kyiv. Kyiv was the primary target of this Russian attack. Putin can’t even pronounce the word “hurrah” clearly anymore – slurs and mumbles – yet he is still vanquishing residential buildings with his missiles. Launched three Russian missiles against a water supply facility. Burned down a market. Damaged dozens of residential buildings. Hit several ordinary schools. Launched his “Oreshnik” against Bila Tserkva. They really are unhinged. It is important that this does not pass without consequences for Russia. Today, everyone in the world who will not stay silent and chooses to help Ukraine is a defender of life. It is critically important to continue working to secure air defense for Ukraine, especially anti-ballistic capabilities. We are doing our best to achieve peace and protect people – everything. It is important that Ukraine is not alone. Decisions are needed – from the United States, from Europe and others – to make that old “Oreshnik” in Moscow finally utter the word “peace.”