Zelenskyy Vows Not to Yield to Russia in War, Rejects Putin's Ceasefire Terms

Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his firm resolve not to yield to Russia under any circumstances and that Ukraine will ultimately be victorious. In an interview with the BBC at the government headquarters in the capital, Kyiv, he completely rejected the ceasefire conditions set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin had demanded that Ukrainian forces withdraw from strategic areas that Russia failed to capture despite the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers, which Zelenskyy interpreted as a suicidal move to abandon his own people and territory. According to Zelenskyy, Putin has already started World War III by trying to impose a lifestyle favorable to him upon the world.

Although Russia demanded that Ukraine hand over important cities in Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, Zelenskyy made it clear that those areas are 'fortresses' and he cannot abandon the millions of people there to Russian brutality. Zelenskyy claims that while a ceasefire might temporarily satisfy Putin, it would only be an opportunity to regroup military strength, and Russia would launch another fierce attack within two or three years.

He stated that the only way to stop Putin is to create intense military and economic pressure.