Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky declares that his country will not surrender strategic territories to Russia as part of any potential ceasefire agreement, arguing that Vladimir Putin “has already started World War III.” In his BBC interview, he emphasizes that the only response is intense military and economic pressure on Moscow.
Zelensky made clear that he rejects any possibility of ceding the 20% of Donetsk region controlled by Russia, as well as additional territories in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
“I don’t see it simply as land. I see it as abandonment – weakening our positions, abandoning hundreds of thousands of people who live there. And I am certain that this ‘withdrawal’ would divide our society,” he stated.
He estimated that even if such concessions temporarily satisfied Putin, Russia would use the ceasefire as a “pause” to regroup forces. “Our European partners say it might take three to five years. In my opinion, it could recover within two,” he said, questioning “where will it go next?”
Zelensky: “Victory is stopping Putin”
The Ukrainian president argued that victory is not only about restoring normalcy for Ukrainians, but also preventing a broader threat.
“Stopping Putin today and preventing him from conquering Ukraine is victory for the entire world. Putin will not stop at Ukraine,” he declared.
Regarding the full restoration of 1991 borders, he emphasized that this remains a goal, but admitted that an immediate attempt to reclaim all occupied territories would have an enormous human cost. “What is land without people? Nothing,” he said.
Zelensky’s relationship with Trump and security guarantees
Zelensky was asked to comment on statements by US President Donald Trump, who has called for rapid ceasefire negotiations and has applied greater pressure on Kyiv than on Moscow.
When asked if he can trust Trump, the Ukrainian president responded that security guarantees must be institutionalized by the US Congress to last beyond a single presidential term. “Presidents change, but institutions remain,” he noted.
He also mentioned that before considering the possibility of holding elections – an issue also raised by Washington – clear security guarantees for the country must first be secured.
Elections amid war
Elections were scheduled for 2024, but were not held due to martial law imposed after the Russian invasion. Zelensky stated that technically elections could be conducted if appropriate legislation were passed, but emphasized practical difficulties, given that millions of Ukrainians are abroad and significant parts of the country are under Russian occupation.
“If this is a prerequisite for ending the war, let’s do it. But they must be conducted in a way that they are recognized as legitimate, first of all by the Ukrainian people,” he said.
Defense reinforcement and Patriot systems
The Ukrainian president reiterated the need to strengthen air defense, calling the issue “the most difficult problem.” He requested permission to manufacture American weapons systems under license, including Patriot missiles. “Unfortunately, our partners don’t give us licenses to produce systems ourselves, like Patriots or even missiles for systems we already have. So far we haven’t achieved progress,” he stated.
“Success is stopping Putin”
Concluding the interview, Zelensky assessed that the war will not end immediately, but argued that diplomatic and military strategy moves in “parallel directions.” “For us, success is stopping Putin,” he said, adding that although the Russian president does not wish to end the war, “the fact that he doesn’t want to doesn’t mean he won’t be forced to.”
