Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks about Ukraine allegedly losing its statehood reveal what he ultimately seeks to achieve through the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy described it as a sign of “global weakness” that the Russian leader is able to make such statements without facing sufficient pushback.
“Why weakness? Back in 2005, the Kremlin leader said that the greatest tragedy of the 20th century was the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2025, he effectively provided an answer as to what his main geopolitical objectives are,” Zelenskyy said.
According to the Ukrainian president, there is no place for human tragedy in the Kremlin leader’s worldview.
“He said nothing about the First World War, did not mention the Second World War, nor did he name Chornobyl as the greatest tragedy. In other words, he mentioned nothing connected to human beings. That is why his goal is clear: to restore the Soviet Union. His goal is not eastern Ukraine. His goal is not Donbas. His goal is to occupy our entire country,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said Putin’s remarks about Ukraine allegedly losing its statehood demonstrate what the Russian leader ultimately wants and how he envisions the war ending.
On October 1, Putin claimed that Ukraine “cannot exist independently,” is “governed from outside” and is “losing its statehood.”
