“Putin has already started the Third World War” - Zelensky

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has effectively already begun the Third World War, but it is the Ukrainian resistance that is preventing this conflict from escalating into a full-scale global confrontation.

“I believe that Putin has already started it (the Third World War - ed.). The question is how much territory he can capture and how to stop him. Russia wants to impose a different way of life on the world and change the life chosen by the people. Therefore, I believe, and have long believed, that Putin has already started this war, and we are preventing it from turning into a full-scale Third World War,” said Zelensky.

The Ukrainian leader also commented on the possibility of reaching the borders of 1991. According to him, this would undoubtedly be a victory for justice, but doing so by military means right now would mean the loss of millions of lives. Zelensky noted that Ukraine still does not have enough weapons for such actions and that “land without people is nothing.”

The president rejected the proposal to concede 20% of the Donetsk region controlled by Ukraine for a ceasefire, calling it “a weakening of our positions and the abandonment of our hundreds of thousands of people,” which, he believes, would divide Ukrainian society.

Concerning security guarantees from the United States, he stated that they should be based on the institutions and decisions of Congress, as presidents change, and agreements should last for decades.