Zelenskyy: "Russia Is Losing the Initiative Day by Day... On the Verge of Collapse"

Guardian Interview Released
"Russian Economy on the Brink of Collapse"

As the war with Russia enters its fifth year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Russia is losing the initiative on the battlefield and becoming increasingly isolated on the international stage.

According to Yonhap News Agency, which cited an interview published on the 9th (local time) by the British daily The Guardian, Zelenskyy made these remarks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo by The Asia Business Daily

While visiting London, President Zelenskyy pointed out in his interview with The Guardian several instances where Russia has suffered political defeats on the international stage in recent times.

He stated, "Although it cannot be definitively said that Russia is losing this war, I can say with certainty that they are losing the initiative day by day," claiming that the current battlefield situation is the most favorable for Ukraine in the past two and a half years.

President Zelenskyy also noted that discontent is spreading within Russian society and among the elite due to the prolonged war. Last month, he even met Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch, in person in Kyiv.

President Zelenskyy said, "We conveyed to him that we will never give up the Donbas region," and added, "Business leaders are well aware of how dire Russia's economic situation is. It is on the verge of collapse."

President Zelenskyy expressed, through Abramovich, his desire for a direct meeting with President Putin and, earlier this month, even sent an open letter to President Putin, but his request was rejected.

This letter was made public after Ukraine launched a drone attack on Saint Petersburg to coincide with the opening day of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Regarding recent long-range attacks by Ukrainian forces, Zelenskyy said, "Victory in this war will come when Russian society realizes that war is horrific, and that the tragedy is not happening somewhere else to someone else, but to themselves. I believe this will be the turning point." However, he did not comment on future military operations.

Commenting on the recent Ukrainian attacks on crucial infrastructure, such as the oil terminal at the port of Feodosia in Crimea, he said, "The key is vital infrastructure. These facilities help Russia militarize Crimea," adding, "We are working to address this."

Currently, Crimea is suffering from a severe fuel shortage as a result of Ukraine's concentrated attacks on energy facilities. In response to difficulties in supplying energy, the authorities in Crimea have implemented fuel rationing measures.

At the same time, President Zelenskyy repeatedly called on the West to provide air defense support. He said, "The most urgently needed weapon is the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system," emphasizing, "This is the only system capable of intercepting the Russian ballistic missiles that rain down on sleeping Ukrainian civilians every night."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.