Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC that, in his view, Vladimir Putin has already started World War III. Speaking with journalist Jeremy Bowen, he said the key question now is how much territory Russia will be able to seize and how it can be stopped.
“I believe Putin has already started it,” Zelensky said, adding that Russia wants “to bring its own world and change the way of life people like.”
Asked about demands to give up 20% of Donbas, the Ukrainian president said he sees this not only as a loss of land, but also as abandoning the people who remain there. According to him, such a step would weaken Kyiv’s position and could divide Ukrainian society.
Zelensky also argued that even meeting Moscow’s demands would not stop Putin: it would only satisfy him temporarily, and after rebuilding over 3 to 5 years, he would, in Zelensky’s assessment, seek to resume the war. At the same time, the president said Ukraine would eventually be able to recover all occupied territories, but it currently lacks sufficient weapons, and the cost of doing so immediately would be too high in human lives.
“A return to the just borders of 1991 is not even a victory. It is a victory of justice. A victory for Ukraine,” he said.
Responding to comments by Western experts that Ukraine cannot win the war, Zelensky said he does not consider defeat possible because the country is fighting for its independence. He added that if Putin can be stopped and the occupation of Ukraine prevented, that would already be a victory not only for Kyiv, but for the whole world.
Speaking about Donald Trump, Zelensky rejected Trump’s statements that he is a dictator and that he started the war. Asked whether he could trust Trump, the Ukrainian president said the issue concerns not only one president but also American institutions, which is why Kyiv is seeking long-term security guarantees supported in part by Congress.
Zelensky also said he has not yet decided whether he will run again in elections. According to him, Ukraine wants security guarantees before any vote is held. He further noted that Kyiv is still seeking permission to produce U.S. weapons under license, including missiles for Patriot systems, but partners have not granted that approval so far. Under these conditions, he said, Ukraine is pursuing several parallel tracks, and for his country, success means stopping Putin.