Zelenskyy explains why Putin does not want to end Ukraine war

"He is afraid only of his society because he wants to be the president till he dies. Of course, he needs society to support him. He counts on the continuation of this war," the Ukrainian President explained.

Zelenskyy also rejected claims that Russia is winning the war. He highlighted Russia's minimal territorial gains and the enormous losses it has suffered.

"We are not losing this war, and Putin is not winning. His army is now in a weak position. From the beginning of this war, they could occupy 1% of our land, but they spent 1.3 million people," the President concluded.

Russia suffers high casualties for small territorial advances

According to media reports and analysts, Russia's offensive in Ukraine, which began in spring 2025, has achieved minor gains at a high cost. At least 100,000 Russians have been killed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while Russia has captured just 0.4% of Ukrainian territory.

At this pace, Russians could occupy the entire territory of the Ukrainian regions they claim by 2030. Full occupation of Ukraine would take 103 years. The Kremlin would spend millions of Russian soldiers' lives in the process.

Does Putin want peace?

The Washington Post reported on October 18 that in a conversation with Donald Trump, Putin demanded that Ukraine give Russia full control over the Donetsk region as a condition for ending the war. In return, Putin was allegedly ready to withdraw troops from the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

However, in reality, Putin does not seem to want the war to end. For him, it is not a matter of territorial gains, but of ideology. Putin sees a "historical mission" in destroying Ukraine and reviving the Soviet Union.