He explained the use of troops concentrated near our border.

"It's a potential for blackmail. And against Western countries. But if the number of Russian troops grows, blackmail will become even more severe, which can be called preparation for the expansion of aggression against our state and, perhaps, the region as a whole. Ukraine sees no surprises in what is happening on our eastern borders. Russia started this war in 2014, and since then we have been ready for any scenario. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of all European countries.

An example is that Germany recently prevented us from supplying NATO with anti-drone rifles and anti-sniper systems, which are exclusively defense tools. Are we not right in the eighth year of the war? Obviously we have. Any democracy that protects itself from aggression should have the right to acquire such defense instruments. But in some capitals, fear still prevails", - Zelensky said.

The head of the Ukrainian people stressed that if the President of the Russian Federation decides to invade our country tomorrow, the Ukrainian army will be ready for it.

"We will protect our land and our people under all circumstances and from any encroachment. Ukrainians will never give up their freedom", - he said.

He also noted that it is already possible to "open a museum with a collection of various convictions" in Moscow. Zelensky thanked for the support but noted that collective efforts are not enough to return the Russian side not only to the projected policy, which would be based on respect for international law and neighbouring states but also simply meaningful peace talks in the east.

An example is one of the agreements of the Normandy summit in Paris in 2019, which is still not being implemented - the agreement on prisoners. Hundreds of our people are being held captive in the occupied territories, and Russia has made a clear promise to ensure full and unconditional admission of international organizations. But this is not happening, because Ukrainian prisoners are in such a terrible state that Russia cannot show them to the Red Cross.

In an interview with La Repubblica, the President of Ukraine said that he understood the possible number of casualties on both sides in the event of war.

"Precisely because we think about the possible number of victims, we constantly insist on intensifying diplomacy. We do not "play" with weapons, we do not send troops to the borders, we do not take forceful steps towards the occupied territory of our state. During the war we already have about 15 thousand dead. One and a half million Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes and became internal refugees. If we talk about the price of a wider conflict, not a local one, it is clear that human losses can be much higher. Including for the Russians", - the Ukrainian leader said.

He added that Ukraine is ready to make all necessary efforts to make the world fair and lasting. According to Zelensky, this interview could turn into a thick book if he began to list all the proposals and attempts to intensify negotiations that the Russian side received from him during the war.

"One small paragraph will be enough to retell Russia's answers, because they all come down to unwillingness to admit that we are a party to this war. Her role at the negotiating table is to insist on talking to separatists in Donbas. And who are these separatists? In the occupied territories, everything is run by Russian officers and representatives of the Russian authorities", - the president explained.

It will be recalled that Russia has long resisted Ukraine's movement towards European institutions, and its key demand is that it never join NATO and does not have offensive weapons of the military alliance on its territory.

Russia currently denies allegations that it is part of a long-running conflict in Ukraine.

"Our state has given up its share of the Soviet nuclear arsenal - the third largest in the world, and in return received, including from Russia, assurances to respect our borders and our security. All this was thrown away. Therefore, it is strange to hear a request from the Russian side for any guarantees, when so many promises have already been broken by the Russian side itself", - Zelensky said.

The President of Ukraine spoke about the dialogue with the leaders of the EU countries and what kind of help he expects from Europe, in particular, from Italy.

"Some may be afraid of Ukraine's economic potential, but Italy and other countries will only benefit if Ukraine becomes a full member of the EU. The Italians have no less political weight to talk to Russia about peace in Europe than other states that are already involved in the negotiation effort. Christmas is ahead - so now is the time to make every effort to agree on a ceasefire, the release of prisoners and the creation of conditions for the safe movement of people. I am confident that Italy can say its word, which will be heard in Moscow, and Vladimir Putin will not be able to ignore it", - he said.