Zelenskyy says Putin already started World War Three and urges action
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has already started World War Three and that the task now is to prevent it from becoming full-scale, according to the president’s interview with BBC.
During the conversation, the host noted that former US president Joe Biden had been concerned during his time in office about Putin’s nuclear threats and the risk of World War Three. Asked whether current president Donald Trump thinks the same, Zelenskyy replied that:
"We have different views on World War Three. I believe that Putin has already started it. The question now is how much territory he will be able to seize, and how to stop him," Zelenskyy said.
He explained that this issue arises not only because Russia must not win, but also because Moscow seeks to impose a different way of life on the world and change the life people have chosen for themselves.
"Therefore, I believe, and have long believed, that Putin has already begun this war, and that we are preventing it from becoming a broad, full-scale third world war," the president concluded.
World War Three
After returning to the presidency, US leader Donald Trump repeatedly said that without him, Russia’s war against Ukraine would have escalated into World War Three. Later, in October 2025, he again stated that a global war would not happen.
Meanwhile, in August, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that continued weapons supplies to Ukraine are the only hope of avoiding World War Three. He argued that Russia can be stopped only through support for Ukraine.
