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Vladimir Putin has already began World War III, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
The President of Ukraine said the one things that would stop the Russian leader were a military counterattack and economic pressure.
He told the BBC: ‘I imagine that Putin has already began it. The query is how much territory he’ll find a way to seize and the best way to stop him.
‘…Russia desires to impose on the world a special lifestyle and alter the lives people have chosen for themselves.’
One other great war began when Kremlin forces began their full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2020.
Zelensky added: ‘Russia desires to impose on the world a special lifestyle and alter the lives people have chosen for themselves.’
The president also appeared to comment on Donald Trump’s peace proposal that will involve surrendering swaths of land to Putin.
‘I don’t take a look at it simply as land. I see it as abandonment – weakening our positions, abandoning lots of of hundreds of our individuals who live there,’ Zelensky said.
‘That’s how I see it. And I’m sure that this “withdrawal” would divide our society.’
Since January 2024, Russia has seized 1.5% of Ukrainian territory and occupies about 20% of the country, in response to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Under Trump’s 28-point plan, the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, together with Crimea, could be essentially recognised as Russian land.
Moscow would also keep the parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions it occupies.
Ukraine has long refused to give up land to the Kremlin, arguing that the lack of some 600,000 Ukrainian troops shouldn’t be wasted.
It also needs to be a call that the Ukrainian people have a say in, with Kyiv considering putting to a referendum.
That, and Putin would unlikely stop at just land, Zelensky added.
‘Once he recovers, our European partners say it could take three to 5 years. In my view, he could get better in not more than a few years. Where would he go next?
‘We have no idea, but that he would need to proceed [the war] is a fact.’
Germany warned in November that Nato – the defence alliance that features most European powers as members – is probably going Putin’s next goal.
Nevertheless, Zelensky said that because the war nears its four-year mark, victory will ultimately be Ukraine’s.
He said: ‘Will we lose? After all not, because we’re fighting for Ukraine’s independence.
‘We’ll do it. That is totally clear. It is just a matter of time.
‘To do it today would mean losing an enormous number of individuals – tens of millions of individuals – since the [Russian] army is large, and we understand the associated fee of such steps.
‘You wouldn’t have enough people, you could be losing them. And what’s land without people? Truthfully, nothing.’
Zelensky stressed, nevertheless, that Ukraine needs more powerful weapons to realize this.
While Trump’s vision of a technique to halt the war has leaned on capitulating to Putin, Zelensky says the US isn’t just the president – it’s Congress, too.
‘Presidents change, but institutions stay,’ he added.
Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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