Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively “started World War Three,” arguing that only sustained military and economic pressure can force Moscow to retreat.
Speaking from Kyiv’s fortified government headquarters, Zelensky adopted a firm stance, stressing that Ukraine will not trade its people or territory for what he views as a temporary and fragile ceasefire.
“I believe that Putin has already started it,” he says. “The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him.”
Russia currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including significant portions of Donetsk in the east and areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Moscow has pushed for additional territorial concessions in ceasefire discussions, a condition Zelensky has firmly dismissed.
“I don’t look at it simply as land,” he says. “I see it as abandonment weakening our positions, abandoning hundreds of thousands of our people who live there.”
Zelensky warned that halting hostilities without firm guarantees would allow Russia time to rebuild its military capacity. “It would probably satisfy him for a while, he needs a pause,” he says, cautioning that Moscow could regroup within a few years and resume its offensive.
Despite growing international calls for negotiations — including comments from US President Donald Trump urging Ukraine to “come to the table fast” — Zelensky rejected suggestions that Ukraine must concede to end the war.
When asked whether critics were right in claiming Ukraine cannot prevail without compromise, he responded: “Will we lose? Of course not, because we are fighting for Ukraine’s independence.”
For Zelensky, success extends beyond reclaiming territory; it is about defending national sovereignty and preventing broader instability. “Stopping Putin today and preventing him from occupying Ukraine is a victory for the whole world,” he says. “Because Putin will not stop at Ukraine.”
Although Ukraine maintains its long-term objective of restoring its 1991 borders following independence from the Soviet Union, Zelensky acknowledged the heavy human cost of immediately retaking occupied regions. “What is land without people? Honestly, nothing.”
He also addressed tensions with Washington after a strained White House meeting last year. While recognizing that US administrations change, Zelensky emphasized that enduring security guarantees must be institutional rather than personal.
“It is not only President Trump, we’re talking about America,” he says. “Presidents change, but institutions stay.”
On the issue of elections, postponed under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelensky said a decision on his candidacy has not been made and reiterated that credible security guarantees must come first.
He further highlighted Ukraine’s urgent need for enhanced air defence systems, particularly US-made Patriot missile batteries, expressing frustration over restrictions preventing domestic production.
As the interview concluded, Zelensky briefly switched to English, describing diplomatic efforts and military operations as “parallel tracks,” suggesting that one of them will ultimately lead to resolution.
“For us, success is to stop Putin,” he says.
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