Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian leader Vladimir Putin has already started World War III, insisting that only sustained military and economic pressure can force Moscow to retreat, while firmly rejecting any ceasefire deal based on Ukraine surrendering territory.
In an interview with BBC at the heavily guarded government headquarters in Kyiv, Zelensky said Ukraine would not pay the price demanded by Russia, including withdrawal from strategic areas Moscow has failed to fully capture despite heavy losses.
He dismissed Russian demands that Ukraine hand over parts of eastern Donetsk and additional land in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, saying such a move would mean abandoning hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and would fracture society. Any pause achieved through concessions, he warned, would only allow Russia time to regroup and resume the war.
Zelensky said stopping Putin and preventing the occupation of Ukraine would be a victory not only for his country but for the entire world, arguing that Moscow’s ambitions would not end with Ukraine. While reaffirming Ukraine’s ultimate goal of restoring its internationally recognised 1991 borders, he said attempting to retake all territory immediately would cost an unacceptable number of lives and requires greater support from partners.
Responding to scepticism from some Western analysts and pressure from Donald Trump, Zelensky said Ukraine is not losing the war and is fighting for its independence. He acknowledged uncertainty over Washington’s position but stressed that lasting US security guarantees must be approved by Congress to outlast changing administrations.
Zelensky also addressed calls for Ukraine to hold elections, saying they could only be considered after credible security guarantees are in place, given martial law, millions of refugees abroad and Russian occupation of parts of the country.
He reiterated his appeal for stronger air defence, including permission to produce US-made systems such as Patriot missiles under licence, noting that Ukraine has yet to receive approval for domestic manufacturing.
Despite corruption scandals and wartime pressures, Zelensky said Ukraine would continue pursuing parallel diplomatic, military and economic efforts to stop Russia, expressing confidence that sustained pressure would eventually force Moscow to step back.
With inputs from BBC