In a recent address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia will remain a persistent threat to its neighbors, even after the cessation of the ongoing Ukraine war.
He urged the global community to work towards a regime change in Moscow to permanently neutralize this threat.
According to Breitbart, Zelensky, speaking at an Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) conference, criticized Russia's leadership for being "stuck in another era" and rejecting the post-World War Two world order.
He expressed his concern over Russia's continuous airstrikes, despite global calls for peace. "Russia keeps launching such attacks, even when the whole world is calling on it to stop the war," Zelensky stated.
The Ukrainian leader further accused Russia of not recognizing "natural borders," suggesting that Russia believes its borders are "wherever it wants them to be." He painted a grim picture of Russia's mindset, stating, "They are mentally stuck in another century, a time of brutal violence, depredations, a total disregard for human rights and equality."
Zelensky emphasized the need for the world to "push" Russia to end the war and "force" it to recognize its actual borders. He warned that if the world does not aim to change the regime in Russia, Moscow will continue its attempts to destabilize neighboring countries, even post-war. "It will keep spending huge amounts of money, resources, maybe even lives to do so," he cautioned.
The Ukrainian President called on European states to protect themselves in the long term by implementing sanctions to "fully block Russias war machine, cut off its arms industry, limit its energy profits." He also suggested that Russian assets should not only be frozen but confiscated outright.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant civilian casualties. Reports from Kyiv indicate that several children were wounded in Russian missile and drone strikes overnight, and eight people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed when a large residential building was directly hit.
Ukrainian state media reported that the Ukrainian Air Force had shot down 288 Russian drones out of 317 detected, and three cruise missiles of eight launched. The remaining missiles were "direct hits," causing damage on the ground due to debris from downed drones.
Ukraines Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon his plan of giving President Putin 50 days to reach a deal, considering the scale of the assault. He stated, "It is probably time to reduce to zero all of the timeframes that had been given to Putin to demonstrate a constructive approach. President Trump has been very generous and very patient with Putin, trying to find a solution."
Meanwhile, Russian state media claimed that Ukraine also launched air strikes on Russia overnight. The Russian air force reported that it destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones, causing train delays due to falling debris, damage to gas pipes in Volgograd, and a fire at a factory. Russia, however, asserted that there were no casualties.
The ongoing conflict and the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine underscore the importance of international intervention and the need for a strategic approach to ensure long-term peace and stability in the region.
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