OREANDA-NEWS President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has issued an ultimatum to Europe on Ukrainian refugees and air defense systems. He stated this during an interview at the telethon, the Strana newspaper reports.

According to him, several leaders of the European Union (EU) countries have proposed to return unemployed refugees to Ukraine, and leave the able-bodied in Europe. "I tell them, look, let's do this: a little more air defense, and I'll tell them to come back, everyone. But I will return everyone, not just those who do not work for you," Zelensky said.

Zelensky's European interlocutors, in his own words, rejected such a scenario. They insist only on the return of the unemployed part of the Ukrainian refugees home.

Earlier, during the telethon, Zelensky called the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) The Kursk region is a strong trump card in negotiations to resolve the conflict with Russia. He noted that the operation in the Russian region could have a significant impact on peace negotiations.