Today at 14:41
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Russia is looking for a way to present the end of the war against Ukraine as a victory for itself, which is why the Kremlin continues to exert pressure over Donbas.
Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy said he does not believe Russia genuinely wants to end the war, despite occasional attempts to “pause” the fighting for internal propaganda purposes, UATV English reports.
“I do not think Russia wants to end the war. There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Sometimes they would like to freeze the war and are looking for a way to sell it domestically as a victory,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the President, Russian authorities are increasingly aware of negative economic trends, even though the country still has financial reserves and ongoing contracts.
“They understand that their economy is not yet in a deadlock, but the trajectory is extremely negative. They still have some reserves — money and contracts — but the pressure is growing,” he noted.
Zelenskyy emphasized that sanctions against Russia are working and will continue to intensify. He cited discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding restrictions on Russia’s shadow oil tanker fleet. Macron, he said, acknowledged that current European legislation allows only for the temporary detention of such vessels.
Zelenskyy added that the French President is preparing to initiate legislative changes that would enable more effective and permanent blocking of Russian oil transportation.
“Russian oil tankers must be stopped permanently, not detained temporarily and then released,” the President stressed, adding that such measures would significantly complicate Russia’s ability to continue the war.
The President underlined that Ukraine and its people are interested in ending the war, but Russia started it and has failed to achieve its strategic objectives.
“Putin started this war and did not achieve the results he planned. He can say anything, but he has no such achievement,” Zelenskyy said.
He explained that Russia’s pressure on Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas is driven by the Kremlin’s desire to secure at least a symbolic result for domestic propaganda.
“That is why they are pushing us now to leave Donbas. If Ukraine leaves Donbas, that will be the only thing he can say: that was our main goal, Donbas is ours, this is our victory,” Zelenskyy stated.
At the same time, Zelenskyy commented on ongoing diplomatic efforts, noting that Ukraine agrees with 18 out of 20 points of the U.S.-proposed peace plan and expects the United States to use its influence to ensure Russia complies with these provisions.
“This is an American plan with 20 points. We are debating two difficult ones. On the rest, we agree. And we hope for the strength of the United States to ensure Russia also agrees with these points,” he said, adding that the final response should come at a meeting of the leaders.
Zelenskyy also stressed that security guarantees from the United States should be signed before the main peace agreement. According to him, such guarantees are essential for public trust after a prolonged and devastating war.
“People need to see real progress. After such a difficult war, faith is fragile. The strongest thing people can rely on is security guarantees,” he said.
The President noted that the size of Ukraine’s armed forces — projected at 800,000 personnel — and military assistance, including specific weapons systems, are part of the security guarantees package being developed with the United States.
Zelenskyy emphasized that signing security guarantees would be an act of goodwill and would not automatically impose obligations if the war does not end, as the agreements would still require ratification by the U.S. Congress.
Zelenskyy also stated that a new meeting involving the teams of Ukraine, the United States, and Russia could take place as early as Sunday, February 1.
