On this “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut
- Former Vice President Mike Pence
- Cindy McCain, U.N. World Food Programme executive director
Click here to browse full transcripts from 2026 of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m Margaret Brennan in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation: The diplomatic dance between the U.S. and Iran continues, as Ukraine makes an impassioned plea for more help from the U.S.
We spoke exclusively with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who issued a warning:
(Begin VT)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY (Ukrainian President): When we know that Russia prepares a big, massive attack, definitely.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: And urgently requested anti-ballistic missile weaponry from the U.S., whose supply is already stretched thin by that war with Iran.
Back home, as midterm matchups prepare for their November contests, does character count anymore when it comes to politics? We will talk with former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. They both have new books out, and they both have thoughts on the future of their respective political parties.
We will also hear from the outgoing head of the U.N.’s World Food Program, Cindy McCain, on the difficulty of feeding the world in challenging times.
It’s all just ahead on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.
As we await developments in the back-and-forth between the U.S. and Iran over a framework for a truce in the now-three-month-long war, CBS News has learned that the president made further edits to the U.S. proposal on Friday, and mediators now wait on Iran’s response.
We begin today with Ukrainian fears that Russia will soon stage a massive attack on Kyiv, which sources tell CBS News could include strikes on the presidential office and government buildings.
When we spoke exclusively to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, he told us about the increased attacks from the Russians in recent weeks and the dire need for assistance from the U.S.
(Begin VT)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY (Ukrainian President): We think that we will have a big attack from Russian side using drones, using cruise missiles and ballistic.
And we see the preparation. Always, we see the preparation. By the way, we are thankful to United States and European partners when they share with us intelligence. So, when we know that Russia prepares a big, massive attack, definitely, our partners also know, maybe not a lot of details, but we know.
We have each day attack from the Russian side on civilians, and, of course, on battlefield. And two times a week or two times per 10 days, they have big, massive attacks with ballistic and et cetera.
Last massive attack, just to understand, it was some days ago. It was 600 drones, Iranian drones, Shaheds. And they had about 35 – about 30-plus ballistic missiles. And, in total, it was 90 missiles and more than 600 Iranian drones. So it was very difficult to destroy it.
We use all our weapons, what we have, what we produce. And, of course, we use anti-ballistic missiles. This is the biggest deficit for us.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re hearing from European countries that Russia is taking more and more operational risks in Europe. Why do you think Vladimir Putin is taking these risks at this moment?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: First of all, it’s not the first time he has – he is doing such pressure. I think it’s political pressure. It’s messages from Russia, don’t help Ukraine.
I think this is the most – the most usual meaning, what he used. Don’t – if you will help Ukraine, I will do these such steps.
So, he begin – he tried once crossing. At the very beginning of this war, he did it in Romania, and then a little bit later, it was in Poland, when they used 21 drones. Usually, we try to catch all the drones even when they go – when their – direction to other countries like Romania, Moldova or the direction of Poland.
We try to catch everything. If we can’t, of course, we give these messages to our partners. We try to help them, and also the same with the Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia. So, Russia uses this just to attack politically and by weapon pressure on NATO countries to look and their reaction.
So, the reaction, we – I think the reaction has to be more strong from the unity of NATO countries. And I think that Putin is comparing how this reaction and how it’s changed during this one year or two year, three year.
This is the way how – and he also – the testing of air defense of other countries, NATO countries which are bordering us or bordering Belarus or Russia. So, he’s testing what air defense they have. Can they destroy all the – all the missiles or drones? This is what I think.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You sent a personal letter to the White House and to Congress within the past few days explaining that ballistic missiles, as you put it, remain Vladimir Putin’s last major battlefield advantage.
You need a surge of interceptors to take these missiles out. Have you gotten a response from America?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: This is the biggest – this is the priority for us, and big, big challenge.
We had very difficult, tough winter. Russia attacked us by lots of ballistic missiles on our energy infrastructure, water supply, schools. It was – it was very difficult.
Now we see big deficit. Of course, one of the reasons it’s the situation in the Middle East with the Iranian war, and we see that the deficit is increasing, and we need to hurry up, to rush and to send messages and meetings and do a lot of meetings with other partners.
We don’t see enough missiles in production of the United States. We see that this is – it can be crisis in the world, including Middle East, of course. I hope, God bless, that the cease-fire will be long and lasting peace. I wish it to Middle East countries and to the United States.
And I hope that President Trump and his team and American side will negotiate cease-fire. But what we see, we have to prepare for the challenges. And we, in Ukraine, we don’t have cease-fire, we have long five-years war, and we see that Russia is increasing their internal production, the production of ballistic missiles.
And we have deficit with anti-ballistic. This is big problem. I sent a letter to the White House and Congress of the United States, and I hope that they will understand and will answer, respond. And this is very important. We need to increase the production.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary of State Rubio recently said that Ukraine has the strongest military in all of Europe. The Army secretary of the United States called the Ukrainian battlefield the Silicon Valley of war, praising how you’ve integrated A.I. and anti-drone technology.
So, you have this edge on this type of warfare. Can you use it in any way to take down these Russian missiles, or are you solely dependent on American manufacturing to help?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Well, we’ve got messages to help in the Middle East to defend some bases with American soldiers and also infrastructure of Middle East countries like Saudi or Emirates, et cetera.
And I came with – with our groups. We sent two – more than 200 our experts, such a level of sort and different kind of interceptors, radars, systems of electronic warfare, and nobody has. And secretary is right. So we have – and we can destroy all kinds of drones.
We can destroy a lot of different missiles, but we don’t have – still, in our total program and system, we don’t have anti-ballistic. This is the biggest problem. Yes, we are on the way.
By the way, I wanted to say, we will build it, I know, but we need time for this. But during this time, we lose people. And we remember that United States helped us from the very beginning of this war, so, of course, we are very thankful, and we are ready to share what we have.
But until the moment we will produce our European anti-ballistic system, until this moment, we need support from the United States.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Secretary Rubio said there are no negotiations scheduled between Russia and Ukraine. He seems to be acknowledging this is completely stalled.
President Putin’s spokesperson said it is too early to speak in specifics about the end of the war. Do you think Russia can ever come to negotiate an end?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yes, of course.
We are ready to speak bilaterally with Russia. I’m ready to meet with Putin if he will be ready. I think we need more sanctions. I think we need more pressure. And you asked when they will be ready and if, if they will be ready. Theoretically, I think, yes, more sanctions, more pressure, they will be ready for the dialogue. Even now, they have losses, 30,000, 35,000 soldiers, Russian soldiers, per month.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Wow.
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: And it’s a huge number of losses. Really, we increased this number. We – I mean, they increased the number to attack us, and that’s why the number of losses is very big.
And, each month, you have to know that they mobilize I think the same very comparable number with losses. So this is a problem for them, the deficit of people. And they are on the way to the big crisis with the people. I think all these things will push them to the dialogue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: When is the last time you heard from Secretary Rubio, or Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner, the president’s peace envoys? And will they ever come to Kyiv?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: Yes, we count on their coming to Kyiv.
I hope that they will find a possibility to come here in two weeks. But at least I have got such message from my negotiation group. They told me that they had contacts with Steve and Jared. And they said that they are ready to come to Ukraine and to speak, if, of course, if, always if, you know, Margaret. And, today, if, it mean Middle East.
So I don’t know what will be in the Middle East and how you close to negotiations, positive one. Again, hope so. So, I don’t know if – but that – I think that we need to see American negotiation group in Ukraine. They’ve never been here.
I think it’s important not all – also for us. It’s useful for them to understand, to see, to see people, that their life is going on. But we want to stop this war. It means to stop Russia. They’ve been several times in Moscow. I said previously about it, if they want to go this time to Moscow, they have to come to Kyiv and then go to Moscow, I think it will be helpful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I let you go, I just want to come back to what you mentioned in regard to drone technology and this offer that you made to the United States. Is the deal progressing or is it stalled?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: So, we wanted very much to do the first drone deal with the United States, like with the first strategic partner.
But the United States wanted to check all our types of drones. We signed – we accepted, I accepted this document, this way how they wanted us to train, to check, to use it in the sky, on the water, because we have not only sky drones. We have sea drones, and et cetera.
So I accepted this way. But we still didn’t accept a drone deal, like the big document. I hope that we are on the way. But we have already drone deals with some Middle East countries, and we have already drone deals with some European countries.
Now we’re preparing the big drone deal with E.U. And I hope that we will have such decisions with American partners. I count on it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You count on it. And you need to keep working with Silicon Valley and American technology companies on this?
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: We want very much, yes, because American technological companies, they have a lot of different…
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