Zelenskyy Responded to Putin's Statements About Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to statements by Russian leader Vladimir Putin claiming that Ukraine is allegedly losing its statehood and cannot exist independently. Zelenskyy stated that such remarks reveal how Putin views the goal of the war against Ukraine.
Zelenskyy called it a weakness of the world that such statements by the Russian leadership go unchallenged. According to the president, this is not the first time Putin has spoken of the collapse of the Soviet Union as a great historical tragedy. “Why is this a weakness? Back in 2005, the Kremlin leader said that the greatest tragedy of the 20th century was the collapse of the Soviet Union. As early as 2025, he identified it as one of his main geopolitical goals,” Zelenskyy said.
The president pointed out that in his assessments of history, Putin failed to mention a number of events that had enormous consequences for people. “Putin did not mention World War I, did not acknowledge World War II, and did not call Chernobyl the greatest tragedy,” Zelenskyy noted.
According to the Ukrainian president, this shows that the Russian leadership views history primarily through the lens of geopolitical events and the collapse of the USSR. “In other words, nothing that had to do with people. That is why his goal is clear—to bring back the Soviet Union,” Zelenskyy stated.
He also said that, in his assessment, Russia’s goal is not limited to specific Ukrainian regions. “His goal is not eastern Ukraine; his goal is not the Donbas; his goal is the occupation of our entire country,” the president emphasized. Zelenskyy added that Putin’s remarks about Ukraine’s alleged loss of statehood should not be viewed merely as yet another political statement. In his view, they reveal the Russian leadership’s vision for Ukraine’s future and the end of the war.
What Putin Said
The day before, on October 1, Putin stated during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club that Ukraine allegedly “cannot exist independently,” and also claimed that it is “controlled from abroad and is losing its statehood.” The Russian leader also spoke of the need for Ukraine to maintain a neutral status. Separately, he stated that Russia is ready to return to negotiations, but on terms it deems acceptable.
Ukraine, for its part, has repeatedly emphasized the need to end the war on terms that guarantee its sovereignty and security. In his response, Zelenskyy emphasized that Putin’s statements reveal the Russian leadership’s goals regarding Ukraine. The president made these remarks during the Helsinki Security Forum.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian intelligence agencies had received intelligence indicating that Vladimir Putin had allegedly ordered the Russian military leadership to lift the restrictions that Moscow had adhered to during previous air campaigns.
