Ukraine's Zelenskyy improvises mid-flight to get his message out on a whirlwind European trip

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had no time to hold a traditional news conference during a whirlwind, 36-hour trip across Europe this week, so he improvised.

For the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion of his country, Zelenskyy — who usually takes reporters’ questions in person while trotting the globe — communicated with the news media via group chat. While flying between London and Brussels, he answered a long list of questions from Ukrainian and international reporters, relaying audio clips on WhatsApp.

His chosen mode of communication was, if not unprecedented, at the very least extremely rare for a world leader.

The low drone of the aircraft blended with his hoarse, tired-sounding voice, yet his message cut through clearly: Amid uncertain negotiations to end the war, Ukraine, he said, cannot surrender land.

“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories,” he said in a crackling message late Monday. “According to the law, we don’t have such a right … and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”

Shifting diplomatic terrain

With the outlook for negotiations changing by the day, Zelenskyy’s team set out on a jam-packed schedule to shore up support in Europe.

Zelenskyy met the leaders of Britain, Germany and France in London, and the heads of NATO and the European Union in Brussels, before traveling on to Rome for talks with the Italian prime minister and Pope Leo XIV.

A key issue being discussed is whether Ukraine should cede Russian‑occupied territory in return for security guarantees, but the talks have been complicated by uncertainty about the Trump administration’s commitment to European security.

The stakes of staying seen

Since the start of the war, Zelenskyy has shown a desire to communicate in real-time in whatever way is necessary.

When Kyiv came under siege shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy tried to reassure the public through what appeared to be a cellphone video with three top officials — perhaps his best-known address.

“We are all here,” he said at the time. “Our soldiers are here, the citizens of our country are all here protecting our independence, and we are going to continue to do so.”

Since then, Zelenskyy has made frequent communication a strategic priority in a sleep-defying cycle of video messages, remote speeches to Western parliaments and conferences, late-night posts and high-security public appearances.

Monday night’s WhatsApp exchange wound down as his plane landed in Brussels, just before he was whisked into his next round of meetings.

He asked reporters: “How did you like this format? If it works for you, then when we have the opportunity, we’ll share our thoughts and decisions this way again.”