Zelensky says Putin has “already started World War Three,” calls for stronger pressure on Russia

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 23 in an interview with the BBC that Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively already triggered a de facto third global conflict, warning that only sustained military and economic pressure can prevent further escalation.

“I believe that Putin has already started (World War Three). The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him,” Zelensky said, arguing that Ukraine’s resistance is currently preventing the war from expanding into a wider global phase.

He warned that if Ukraine withdrew its forces from parts of Donetsk or accepted Russia’s proposed pause, Moscow would likely resume aggression within a few years, framing territorial concessions as both strategically dangerous and socially destabilizing.

Zelensky again rejected Russian demands that Kyiv abandon roughly 20% of Donetsk oblast and occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, saying such a move would not be a compromise but “an abandonment of hundreds of thousands of people,” and could fracture Ukrainian society.

“What is land without people? Honestly, nothing,” he added, emphasizing that Ukraine’s victory ultimately means preserving independence, while the restoration of the country’s 1991 borders remains “a matter of time,” despite current military constraints.

Russia continues to demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw entirely from the region as a precondition for any peace deal. Ukraine has rejected that demand, insisting that freezing the current front line offers the most realistic basis for a ceasefire.

The president stressed that Ukraine’s most urgent need remains stronger air defense and called on partners to allow licensed production of U.S. weapons, particularly Patriot missiles, while insisting that long-term security guarantees must be approved by the U.S. Congress because “presidents change, but institutions remain.”

Addressing political questions, Zelensky said elections could technically be held during wartime but only after credible security guarantees are in place, adding that he has not yet decided whether he would seek another term.