Zelenskyy: War will end, "Putin will not go anywhere”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has insisted that Russia’s war against Ukraine will end, emphasising that Russian President Vladimir Putin “will not go anywhere” and that the conflict’s conclusion is inevitable.

“War will end one way or another; Putin will not disappear. You can still come up with reasons: not now, no denazification, illegitimacy of power, and so on, but these reasons mean nothing — no one in the world supports them,” Caliber.Az quotes Zelenskyy as saying per Ukrainian media. 

“It will happen regardless, in one form or another, the war will end.”

While acknowledging Russia’s attempts to avoid direct talks, Zelenskyy suggested that certain signals indicate negotiations could still take place.

Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s proposal to first hold a bilateral meeting, followed by a trilateral one, Zelenskyy said: “The Russians will do everything to avoid meeting. In my view, they gained something from their meeting with the US. If the trilateral meeting had been proposed immediately, there would have been a better chance for a trilateral format before this bilateral track between America and Russia, but it is what it is — we did not decide that.”

Asked whether there are signs that Putin is preparing for a meeting, Zelenskyy replied: “Two parallel processes are taking place. They are thinking about how such a meeting might be possible, but will do everything to prevent it.” He added that if the “puzzle pieces” fall into place — with the Global South and the US playing their roles — Russia must be ready for negotiations.

“For example, when we hear ultimatums from Peskov, we see this as a delay and a preparation of a radicalised society that sees no point in meeting us,” Zelenskyy noted. The president reiterated that Ukraine supports any negotiation format and is ready to take part in trilateral talks if they occur.

Zelenskyy also addressed the concept of a buffer zone between Ukrainian and Russian forces. He noted that heavy equipment on both sides has long been moved away from the frontline by more than 10 kilometres, effectively creating a buffer zone.

“I have heard this repeatedly from Europeans and Americans. Only those who do not understand the technological state of today’s war suggest a buffer zone of 40–50–60 kilometres — I even heard 100 km suggested. That is a completely different story. Today, our heavy weapons are already 10+ km apart because drones can strike any closer. This buffer zone — I call it a dead zone; others call it a grey zone — already exists,” Zelenskyy said.

The president further outlined three key blocks of security guarantees for Ukraine. The first block concerns the army: maintaining the current number of troops and supplying them with weapons from Ukrainian, European, and American production.

“In my view, this block is about funding the number of personnel we have today. No one is talking about it more because no one will provide it. But we cannot talk about less because we do not intend to run such experiments,” Zelenskyy emphasised.

The second block concerns NATO, encompassing agreements with partners at the leadership level regarding their readiness to support Ukraine in the event of renewed aggression.

The third block focuses on sanctions against Russia and the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

By Aghakazim Guliyev