Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country will not surrender strategic territory to Russia as part of any potential ceasefire agreement, arguing that Vladimir Putin “has already started World War Three.” In an interview with the BBC, he stressed that the only effective response is strong military and economic pressure on Moscow.

Zelenskyy made clear that he rejects any proposal to cede the 20% of the Donetsk region currently controlled by Russia, as well as additional territories in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

“I don’t see it simply as land. I see it as abandonment — the weakening of our positions, the abandonment of hundreds of thousands of people who live there. And I am certain that this ‘withdrawal’ would divide our society,” he said.

He also assessed that even if a concession were to temporarily satisfy Putin, Russia would use a ceasefire as a “pause” to regroup its forces. “Our European partners tell us it could take three to five years. In my opinion, it could recover in two,” he said, asking, “Where would it go next?”

“Victory Is Stopping Putin”

The Ukrainian president argued that victory is not only about restoring normality for Ukrainians, but also about preventing a broader global threat.

“Stopping Putin today and preventing him from taking Ukraine is a victory for the entire world. Putin will not stop in Ukraine,” he stated.

Regarding the full restoration of Ukraine’s 1991 borders, he emphasized that this remains a goal, but acknowledged that an immediate attempt to retake all occupied territories would come at a massive human cost. “What is land without people? Nothing,” he said.

Relations with Trump and Security Guarantees

Zelenskyy was asked to comment on statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called for rapid ceasefire negotiations and has applied more pressure on Kyiv than on Moscow.

Asked whether he can trust Trump, the Ukrainian president replied that security guarantees must be institutionalized by the U.S. Congress so that they endure beyond a single presidential term. “Presidents change, but institutions remain,” he noted.

At the same time, he said that before the possibility of holding elections is considered — an issue also raised by Washington — clear security guarantees for the country must first be ensured.

Elections During Wartime

Elections had been scheduled for 2024 but did not take place due to martial law imposed after the Russian invasion.

Zelenskyy said that technically elections could be held if appropriate legislation were adopted, but he emphasized the practical difficulties, given that millions of Ukrainians are abroad and significant parts of the country remain under Russian occupation.

“If this is a condition for ending the war, let’s do it. But they must be conducted in a way that they are recognized as legitimate — first and foremost by the Ukrainian people,” he said.

Defense Reinforcement and Patriot Systems

The Ukrainian president reiterated the need to strengthen air defenses, calling it “the most difficult problem.”

He requested permission to manufacture U.S. weapons systems under license, including Patriot missiles. “Unfortunately, our partners are not giving us licenses to produce systems ourselves, such as Patriots or even missiles for the systems we already have. So far, we have not made progress,” he said.

“Success Is Stopping Putin”

Concluding the interview, Zelenskyy said the war will not end immediately, but argued that diplomatic and military strategies are moving in “parallel directions.”

“For us, success is stopping Putin,” he said, adding that although the Russian president does not want to end the war, “the fact that he does not want to does not mean that he will not be forced to.”