Zelensky Warns Putin Has Started World War III, Rejects Concessions

The government enclave in Kyiv is heavily-protected

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russian leader Vladimir Putin has already triggered World War III, insisting that only sustained military and economic pressure can compel Moscow to retreat. He firmly rejected any ceasefire deal that would require Ukraine to cede territory.

In an interview in Kyiv, Zelensky said Ukraine would not meet Russia’s demands to withdraw from strategic areas that Moscow has failed to fully capture despite heavy losses. He warned that conceding territory in eastern Donetsk or southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia would abandon hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and fracture society, giving Russia time to regroup and resume the offensive.

Stopping Putin, he argued, would be a victory for the world, as Moscow’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine. While reaffirming the goal of restoring Ukraine’s internationally recognised 1991 borders, Zelensky said an immediate attempt to retake all territory would cost unacceptable lives and requires stronger support from international partners.

He rejected claims that Ukraine is losing the war and stressed that lasting US security guarantees must be secured through Congress. Zelensky also said national elections could only occur once credible security measures are in place, given martial law, millions of refugees, and ongoing Russian occupation.

He called for stronger air defence, including permission to produce US-made systems like Patriot missiles domestically, and confirmed Ukraine would continue coordinated diplomatic, military, and economic efforts to force Moscow to step back.