Zelensky says Putin has 'already started World War III,' calls for stronger pressure on Russia
The Kyiv Independent • • world
Key Points:
- President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively initiated a de facto World War III, emphasizing that only sustained military and economic pressure can prevent further escalation.
- Zelensky warned that conceding territory in Donetsk, Kherson, or Zaporizhzhia would lead to renewed Russian aggression and destabilize Ukrainian society, rejecting Russian demands for troop withdrawals as unacceptable.
- He highlighted Ukraine’s resistance as key to preventing the war from expanding globally and stressed that victory means preserving independence, with restoration of 1991 borders seen as inevitable over time.
- Zelensky called for stronger air defense capabilities, urging international partners to permit licensed production of U.S. weapons like Patriot missiles, and emphasized the importance of long
