Zelensky warns Kremlin leaders to 'know where the bomb shelters are' in ominous warning

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a sharply worded warning to Kremlin leaders, telling Axios in an interview conducted after his address to the United Nations General Assembly that they should "know where the bomb shelters are" if they pursue the war further. Zelenskyy said he has express permission from President Donald Trump to strike energy and infrastructure targets inside Russia and that Kyiv has asked Washington to supply a weapons system he said would force Vladimir Putin to negotiate, though he declined to identify the system.

They have to know that we in Ukraine, each day, we will answer. If they attack us, we will answer them, we will respond. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Zelensky portrayed the potential weapons system as leverage rather than an immediate plan to escalate, stressing that the aim is to pressure Moscow toward negotiations rather than to signal a new phase of the conflict. "They need it. If they will not stop the war, they will need it in any case," he said, citing the perceived deterrent effect. He added: "President Trump knows, I told him yesterday what we need, one thing. We need it, but it doesn't mean that we will use it. Because if we'll have it, I think it's additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak."

Trump this week shifted his stance on the war, suggesting Kyiv could reclaim all of the territory Russia seized with the backing of Europe and NATO. "I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form," he said. "With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started, is very much an option," Trump added.

Zelenskyy and Trump met earlier this week in New York during the United Nations session, a meeting that underscored Kyiv's push to mobilize Western support as the war continues. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the Axios interview or Zelenskyy’s claims.

The remarks come at a time of intensified international focus on Ukraine’s war and its broader implications for European security and global energy markets. Zelenskyy used his UN appearance to rally allies around continued assistance and heightened penalties on Russia, while Kyiv seeks to lock in weapons capabilities that could alter the balance at the negotiating table.

Observers have warned of Russia shifting from rhetoric to action, with operations that target energy infrastructure and, in some analyses, signaling a willingness to widen the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders. The exchange of blunt rhetoric and pledges of support—from Kyiv’s leadership, and from prominent Western leaders—highlights the high-stakes diplomacy unfolding as Kyiv weighs next steps amid winter energy pressures and a protracted war.

Zelenskyy’s remarks, rooted in a strategic bid to secure durable Western guarantees, reflect Kyiv’s efforts to maintain momentum on the diplomatic and military front while portraying every escalation as a possible turning point in negotiations. By linking Western military and economic assistance to a credible deterrent against renewed Russian aggression, Zelenskyy is positioning Kyiv to navigate a volatile global security environment while seeking to minimize uncertainty about the allies’ continued commitment.

As the conflict persists, Ukrainian officials have emphasized the importance of sustained international unity and support, even as individual partners weigh how best to balance security guarantees with broader geopolitical realities. Zelenskyy’s latest statements—alongside Washington’s evolving posture toward arms supplies and support—signal that Kyiv will continue to press for concrete steps that could influence Moscow’s calculus, even as the war drags on and regional stability remains precarious.