Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned in an interview with BBC that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has effectively triggered a global conflict and must be confronted with continued military and economic pressure. He flatly ruled out any truce that would require Ukraine to give up its land.
Speaking from the tightly secured government complex in Kyiv, Zelensky said Ukraine will not accept Moscow’s conditions, including pulling back from key territories that Russian forces have not been able to fully seize despite suffering heavy losses, reports BBC.
He rejected demands for Kyiv to surrender parts of eastern Donetsk as well as further areas in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, arguing that such concessions would leave hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians under occupation and tear the country apart.
Any temporary halt achieved this way, he said, would simply give Russia time to rebuild its forces and restart the war.
According to Zelensky, halting Putin and preventing the takeover of Ukraine would be a win not just for Ukrainians but for global security, as he believes Moscow’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine’s borders.
While reaffirming the goal of restoring Ukraine’s internationally recognised 1991 boundaries, he acknowledged that trying to reclaim all occupied territory at once would come at an intolerable human cost and would require far stronger backing from allies.
Addressing criticism from some Western commentators and pressure linked to Donald Trump, Zelensky insisted Ukraine is not being defeated and is fighting for its survival as a sovereign state.
He said the stance of Washington remains uncertain, but stressed that any lasting US security guarantees must be approved by United States Congress so they endure beyond changes in leadership.
Zelensky also responded to calls for Ukraine to hold elections, saying this could only be discussed once reliable security assurances are in place, given martial law, the displacement of millions of citizens abroad, and the continued occupation of parts of the country by Russia.
He renewed appeals for stronger air defences, including permission to manufacture US-designed systems such as Patriot missiles under licence, noting that approval for domestic production has not yet been granted.
Despite corruption scandals and the immense strain of wartime governance, Zelensky said Ukraine will press ahead on diplomatic, military and economic fronts simultaneously.
He said he remains confident that sustained international pressure will ultimately compel Moscow to retreat.
