Zelenskyy Accuses Russia of Seeking Excuses to Prolong War, Warns of Wider Conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of manufacturing excuses to keep the war in Ukraine going, warning that Moscow may be preparing to extend its military activity to other countries.

In his daily address, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no real interest in ending the conflict, repeatedly sidestepping direct meetings and trilateral talks. He described the pattern as unchanged over several years, adding that Ukraine's partners have taken note of it.

"Clearly, the Russians are not preparing to end the war — at least not right now," Zelenskyy said, arguing that Putin "always has some excuse not to meet, not to hold trilateral talks, not to talk, and not to end or stop these killings."

He said Washington shares Kyiv's reading of Russia's intentions, pointing to his recent meeting with the President of the United States. According to Zelenskyy, Russia must instead develop a willingness to spend its money "not on death, but on something else."

The Ukrainian leader also cited intelligence reports indicating that Russia wants to widen its war and its activities to other countries, and possibly other regions. On that basis, he called for partners to strengthen collective defences and adopt what he termed pre-emptive defensive measures.

Zelenskyy linked those goals to two tracks of cooperation: discussions with partners on tougher sanctions, and Ukraine's proposed "Drone Deal" initiative. The initiative is an international cooperation framework launched by Ukraine to deepen global defence-industrial partnerships.