Zelensky says Putin will persist in trying to seize all of Ukraine

During a recent interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Vladimir Putin’s objective is to occupy the whole of Ukraine and that this aim will be realized if Kyiv is weakened or if the international community grows weary and fails to provide firm security guarantees. He emphasized that he does not fear an imminent occupation because Putin’s goals are unchanging. Zelensky expressed willingness to sit at a negotiating table with Putin, not out of desire but as a pragmatic step toward achieving peace.

He described the enemy as someone he would rather spend time with his family than talk to, yet acknowledged the necessity of dialogue for a possible resolution. Additionally, Zelensky highlighted the difficulty of defeating Russian forces, citing the massive loss of life that an offensive would entail, and called the human cost “awful” for the 21st century.