Zelensky says Putin has already started WWIII and would invade again even if peace deal agreed

Ukrainian leader said it was ‘only a matter of time’ until Kyiv recovers all the land Russia has occupied

Volodymyr Zelensky has said he believes Vladimir Putin has already started World War Three, as he called for more pressure on Russia on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion.

The Ukrainian president told the BBC that the only way to stop Russia would be through military and economic might, as Moscow clings to its maximalist territorial demands.

Speaking from Kyiv, the defiant leader told the broadcaster he was still firmly opposed to appeasing Russia by withdrawing from Ukrainian land – and insisted it was “only a matter of time” until Ukraine reclaims all its territory from the aggressor.

“I believe that Putin has already started [a third world war],” Mr Zelensky said. “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.”

Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede swathes of territory in the east and south, including areas they have not been able to take in four years of bitter conflict. Kyiv says that appeasing Mr Putin now will only encourage him later on.

Asked whether the “abandonment” of eastern regions would be “a good price to pay if that satisfies Putin”, Mr Zelensky warned: “It would probably satisfy him for a while... he needs a pause... but once he recovers, our European partners say it could take three to five years.

Zelensky: ‘Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life’ (AFP/Getty)

“In my opinion, he could recover in no more than a couple of years. Where would he go next? We do not know, but that he would want to continue [the war] is a fact.”

Kyiv is reluctant to give up territory, including its defensive line in the east, and says it needs clear security guarantees from allies to be able to secure a lasting peace.

The Ukrainian president maintained that Ukraine could still win the war, despite US President Donald Trump’s insistence that he should make a deal with Russia while he has the chance.

“Will we lose? Of course not, because we are fighting for Ukraine’s independence,” he said, adding that it was “only a matter of time” until Ukraine reclaimed all its lost territory.

“To do it today would mean losing a huge number of people – millions of people – because the [Russian] army is large ... As of now, that’s not possible, but returning to the just borders of 1991 without a doubt, is not only a victory, it’s justice.”

Ukrainian forces prepare a missile to fire at Russian troops near Kharkiv (Reuters)

Mr Zelensky assessed that halting Russia’s advance would be “a victory for the whole world” as “Putin will not stop at Ukraine.”

With diplomacy on ice following a third round of talks in Geneva last week, Russia and Ukraine continued to trade blows overnight.

A Russian attack on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region killed two people and injured three on Monday, Ukraine’s emergency service and a government official said on Monday morning. The two people died when a Russian drone fell on a truck stop.

Infrastructure Minister Oleksii Kuleba said: “This is yet another blow to civilian logistics and port infrastructure. Russia is systematically attacking facilities that have no military purpose, trying to undermine the economy of the region and the country as a whole.”