Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has denounced Russian leaders as ‘bandits’ and ‘terrorists’ for their aggression against his country, and ruled out any possibility of a frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine.
In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Zelenskiy said he was determined to end the war that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014, and restore Ukraine’s sovereignty over the Donbas region, where Russian-backed separatists have declared two breakaway republics.
He also said he was hopeful that Ukraine would become a candidate for European Union membership on Thursday, a move that would anger Moscow and mark a major geopolitical shift for the former Soviet republic.
Zelenskiy, a former comedian who won a landslide election in 2019 on a promise of peace, said he had tried to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but had received no response.
He accused Putin of being a ‘bandit’ who wanted to destroy Ukraine and annex its territory, and said Russia was capable of using chemical weapons or cutting off water and electricity supplies to besieged cities.
He also blamed Russia for preventing humanitarian aid from reaching millions of civilians trapped in the conflict zone, calling it a ‘terrorist state’.
Zelenskiy said he was grateful for the military and diplomatic support from Western allies, especially the United States, but urged them to speed up the delivery of heavy weapons and sanctions against Russia.
He said he was ready to meet with Putin face-to-face, but only if there was a clear agenda and a guarantee of results.
He also said he was open to dialogue with the people of Donbas, but not with the separatist leaders who he said were ‘puppets’ of Moscow.
He ruled out any scenario of a frozen conflict, where the status quo would be maintained indefinitely, saying it would be ‘a catastrophe’ for Ukraine and Europe.
He said he wanted to implement the Minsk peace agreements, signed in 2015 with the mediation of France and Germany, but said they needed to be updated to reflect the current situation.
He said the main conditions for peace were a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and weapons, the restoration of Ukraine’s control over its border, and the holding of free and fair elections under Ukrainian law.
He also said he was committed to protecting the rights and interests of the Donbas residents, including their language and culture, but insisted that they must remain part of Ukraine.
He said he hoped that the people of Donbas would choose peace over war, and democracy over dictatorship.
He said he believed that Ukraine’s future was in Europe, and that he expected all 27 EU countries to support its candidacy on Thursday.
He said joining the EU would be a boost for Ukraine’s morale and economy, and a signal to Russia that it could not interfere in its affairs.
He said he was confident that Ukraine would overcome its challenges and become a successful and prosperous European state.