Zelenskyy Warns: Putin’s Ambitions Go Beyond Ukraine

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has already started" World War Three, urging stronger military and economic measures to halt his advance.

"I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him," Zelenskyy told media in Kyiv during an interview released Sunday.

When asked if Russia’s demand for Ukraine to surrender the remaining 20% of Donetsk could be seen as "reasonable" if it led to a ceasefire, he rejected the idea.

"I see it as abandonment—weakening our positions, abandoning hundreds of thousands of our people who live there. That is how I see it. And I am sure that this 'withdrawal' would divide our society."

Zelenskyy framed Ukraine’s resistance as a global concern, saying, "I believe that stopping Putin today and preventing him from occupying Ukraine is a victory for the whole world. Because Putin will not stop at Ukraine."

The president reaffirmed his commitment to reclaim all Ukrainian territory, calling it inevitable.

"To do it today would mean losing a huge number of people - millions of people - because the [Russian] army is large, and we understand the cost of such steps. You would not have enough people; you would be losing them. And what is land without people? Honestly, nothing."

Highlighting Ukraine’s arms shortages, Zelenskyy said the solution depends on both Kyiv and its international partners. He emphasized that air defense remains "the most difficult problem."

"Unfortunately, our partners still do not grant licenses for us to produce systems ourselves, for example, Patriot systems, or even missiles for the systems we already have. So far, we have not achieved success in this."

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