The Two-Handed Approach: Zelensky Offers an Olive Branch, But Also a Weapons List

President Volodymyr Zelensky is employing a classic two-handed approach in his latest appeal to the world: in one hand, he holds out the olive branch of a new peace initiative, while in the other, he holds a detailed list of the weapons he needs to survive until that peace is achieved.
The olive branch is his praise for the Gaza deal and his optimistic vision of a “momentum for peace.” He speaks of ending the war, of “genuine negotiations,” and congratulates President Trump on his diplomatic success. This is the hand of the peacemaker.
The weapons list is equally prominent. He explicitly names “Patriot, NASAMS, SAMP/T” and directly calls on the G7 to provide them. He insists that strength is the only path to peace and that Russia must be militarily constrained. This is the hand of the wartime commander.
Crucially, Zelensky presents these two hands not as contradictory, but as complementary. He argues that the olive branch can only be meaningfully extended if it is protected by the strength represented by the weapons list. The former is the goal; the latter is the necessary condition.
This two-handed approach is a candid reflection of his reality. He is a leader who must simultaneously pursue the hope of a diplomatic solution while managing the brutal, day-to-day necessity of armed defense. He is asking his allies to understand and support both.