Zelenskyy Says Russia and Putin Are Isolated and Lies Will Not Stop Ukraine’s Fight Back
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is beginning to gain the upper hand in its war against Russia, arguing that Moscow is steadily losing the initiative after more than four years of full-scale conflict. In an interview in London with the Guardian, the Ukrainian president said the military situation is now the most favorable for Kyiv in two and a half years, even though Russia still has significant firepower and continues to inflict heavy damage on Ukrainian cities.
Zelenskyy pointed to a series of recent Ukrainian drone strikes that hit targets in St Petersburg and occupied Crimea, damaging oil terminals, disrupting transport routes and worsening fuel shortages on the peninsula. He also said Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine has largely stalled. At the same time, he said Russian forces are sustaining losses of more than 30,000 soldiers a month, including thousands killed and many more badly wounded. Ukraine has also suffered casualties, though on a smaller scale.
Despite battlefield setbacks, Russia has intensified aerial attacks on Ukrainian population centers. Zelenskyy described missile and drone assaults on Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities as deliberate attempts to terrorize civilians. He said one recent wave involved dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones, killing 18 people, including a three-year-old boy. He accused Russian forces of using cluster munitions in densely populated areas.
Zelenskyy also rejected Vladimir Putin’s latest public stance on the war. After Zelenskyy proposed a direct meeting, Putin dismissed the offer, repeated territorial demands in eastern and southern Ukraine, and claimed Russian forces were advancing across the front. Zelenskyy said Putin has lied about the war from the start and uses falsehoods to hold Russian society together.
On the diplomatic front, Zelenskyy said Russia is increasingly isolated. He cited setbacks for pro-Kremlin political efforts in several countries and said Moscow is losing influence in Europe, the United States and parts of the former Soviet space. He also suggested that some people around Putin want to keep fighting, while others understand that Russia’s economy is under severe strain.
The Ukrainian president praised continued U.S. support but acknowledged that Washington’s focus has shifted toward the Middle East, especially the conflict with Iran. He said Ukraine has not received the same volume of military assistance as some U.S. allies and said the biggest gap in Ukraine’s defense remains American-made Patriot missile systems, which are crucial for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
During talks in London with British, German and French leaders, Zelenskyy urged Europe to help close Ukraine’s skies against drone and missile attacks and to strengthen funding for a more professional long-term military structure. He said Ukraine is also prepared to share its extensive experience in drone warfare with European partners and NATO.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine hopes its long-range strikes can eventually help force Russia to feel the costs of war more directly, including by putting pressure on Russian society and infrastructure. He also described a recent secret meeting with oligarch Roman Abramovich, saying Russia’s economy is close to collapse and that some in Putin’s circle may want an end to the war.
Before meeting King Charles, Zelenskyy expressed admiration for the monarch and said he would like to invite him to Kyiv, possibly this year, if security conditions allow.
