Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Ukraine can't give Vladimir Putin a "break" and has urged the world to stand up to the Russian president to avoid a third world war.
Speaking in an interview with the U.S. broadcaster CBS as he heads to the United States to plead for more weapons to aid his country's ongoing counteroffensive to drive out invading Russian troops, Zelenskiy said Western military support is key for restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Zelenskiy will speak on September 19 at the UN General Assembly in New York on the same day U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the annual meeting, which comes as Kyiv claims some successes its counteroffensive against Putin's troops, who launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The two leaders are expected to meet at the White House two days later.
“We need to liberate our territory as much as possible and move forward. Even if it's less than a kilometer or a hundred meters, we must do it,” Zelenskiy said in the interview, broadcast on September 17, with the popular television news magazine program 60 Minutes.
“In places that we can't get through in an armored vehicle -- let's fly. If we can't fly -- let's send drones. We mustn't give Putin a break,” he said.
Ukraine has been almost entirely dependent on Western military aid and equipment to wage its defense against the Russian invasion, now approaching its 19th month. Kyiv has repeatedly pressed the United States and other allies for more powerful weaponry, such as F-16 fighter jets, which could be put into service as early as next year.
Zelenskiy is expected to use his in-person appearance with world leaders to rally support and press for supplies of more advanced weapons and ammunition. In the interview, Zelenskiy said modern Western weapons are key for restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“The support is not just about the money. It’s about technologies,” he said. “If [Western countries] provide appropriate weapons to Ukraine tomorrow, believe me, we’ll restore our territorial integrity, and it’s going to be faster than any counteroffensive [conducted] in any direction.”
Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in Ukraine's east and south in June but the effort has been slowed by heavily fortified Russian defensive lines. Ukrainian officials have frequently pushed back at criticism about the pace of the Ukrainian military's strategy to take back Russian-occupied territory.
While Washington early this month downplayed such criticism, saying that notable progress has been made, there have been widespread suggestions that public support for continued aid to Ukraine could diminish if the counteroffensive fails to meet high expectations.
Zelenskiy has previously said that “slower” arms shipments from Western countries are threatening the counteroffensive and called for Ukraine's partners to send more powerful and long-range weapons to push back Russian forces.
The 45-year-old Zelensky said Ukraine is grateful for the support and added that the country is not fighting only to protect itself.
“What else must Ukraine do for everyone to measure our huge gratitude? We are dying in this war,” he said in the interview, which took place at the presidential compound in Kyiv last week.
“Look, if Ukraine falls, what will happen in 10 years? Just think about it. If [the Russians] reach Poland, what's next? A third world war?”
Zelenskiy defended Ukraine's targeting of places inside Russia that are being used to launch attacks against his nation, saying, “Ukraine has every moral right” to do so.
In recent months, Russia has reported drone attacks against Moscow and other targets on Russian territory for which it blames Ukraine.
