Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky warns Putin has started WW III and must be stopped ahead of four-year anniversary
Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Vladimir Putin has started World War III and must be stopped in comments made ahead of the four-year anniversary of the conflict.
The Ukrainian leader insisted Putin’s invasion had started a wider conflict impacting the global order and urged for intense military and economic pressure against Russia.
“I believe that Putin has already started it [WW3],” he told the BBC.
“The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him… Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves.”
The comments come amid fraught ongoing trilateral discussions to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
As the war approaches its four-year anniversary, Russia insists Ukraine surrender key territory while Zelensky is reluctant to any agreement that does not contain robust security guarantees.
It comes after a night of horror in Ukraine as Russian drones and missiles targeted energy infrastructure in southern Odesa region overnight, causing significant fires, the country’s emergency service said.
One person was killed and at least eight rescued from the rubble. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia’s barrage included 297 drones and 50 missiles, of which 274 drones and 33 missiles were shot down or neutralized.
