The following is the full transcript of the interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which aired on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on May 31, 2026. The interview was recorded on May 29, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who joins us from Kyiv. Welcome back to Face the Nation, Mr. President.
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Thank you so much, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have warned that Ukraine has intelligence that Russia is preparing for a new massive attack. This is after Moscow had warned foreign nationals to leave your capital city ahead of expanded strikes. Exactly, what are you bracing for?
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: So, first of all, today at night, or tomorrow at night, we think that we will have big attacks from the Russian side using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. We see the preparation. We are thankful to the United States and European partners for sharing intelligence with us. When we know that Russia prepares a big attack, our partners also know, maybe not all the details, but we know. I will address my country later in the evening, and I will advise our people to be very cautious and to use bomb shelters. There is a high probability of attacks tonight or tomorrow night. We experience daily attacks from the Russian side on civilians and the battlefield. Two times a week, or every ten days, there are significant attacks with ballistic missiles. The last major attack involved 600 Iranian drones and over 30 ballistic missiles, totaling more than 600 drones and 90 missiles, which was difficult to counter.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Overnight, a Russian drone struck a Romanian building, and another hit a Turkish ship. These are NATO member states. European countries are reporting that Russia is taking more operational risks in Europe. Why do you think Vladimir Putin is taking these risks at this moment?
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: This is not the first time he has applied such pressure. I believe it is political pressure, sending messages from Russia not to assist Ukraine. He has previously attempted this, such as when he crossed into Romania and later into Poland. Today’s incident in Romania is not the first time we have communicated these messages to our Romanian partners. We try to intercept all drones, even those heading towards other countries. If we cannot, we inform our partners. Russia uses these actions to exert political and military pressure on NATO countries to gauge their reactions. I believe NATO's response should be stronger and more unified. Putin is testing the air defenses of neighboring NATO countries to see how effectively they can intercept missiles and drones.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You sent a personal letter to the White House and Congress recently, stating that ballistic missiles remain Vladimir Putin's last major advantage on the battlefield. You need a surge of interceptors to counter these missiles. Have you received a response from the United States?
PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY: Thank you for this question. This is a significant priority and challenge for us. We faced a difficult winter with numerous ballistic missile attacks on our energy infrastructure, water supply, and schools. We are currently experiencing a significant deficit in interceptors. One reason for this is the situation in the Middle East. We need to expedite communication and meetings with our partners. We do not see enough missiles being produced in the United States. This could lead to a global crisis, including in the Middle East. I hope for a lasting ceasefire in that region. However, we must prepare for ongoing challenges. In Ukraine, we have been engaged in a prolonged conflict for five years, and Russia is increasing its production of ballistic missiles. We have a deficit in anti-ballistic capabilities, which is a major issue. I sent a letter to the White House and Congress, and I hope for a timely response. It is crucial to increase production, as the current output of 60 to 65 missiles per month is insufficient for today’s challenges.
