Zelenskyy says Putin has started WWIII

Politico Europe · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Asked whether Ukraine was still keen to get back all the land seized by Russia, Zelenskyy replied: “In any case, we will achieve that. That is absolutely clear. It is only a matter of time.” However, he added: “To do it today would mean losing a huge number of people, millions of people, because the Russian army is large and we understand the cost of such steps.” Zelenskyy insisted Ukraine would ultimately prevail. “What is land without people? Honestly, nothing,” he argued. He said that restoring the country’s 1991 borders would be “a victory for justice” and emphasized that Ukraine would need outside help. “We also do not have a sufficient amount of weapons. That depends not only on us,” he said. Putin, meanwhile, emphasized his intention to strengthen combat capabilities and urged his country to push toward full militarization, in a video address on the occasion of a Feb. 23 holiday. The Kremlin “will increase the pace of development of advanced systems for the armed forces,” he said.