Zelensky: Putin’s Goal Is Not Donbas but All of Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Vladimir Putin’s latest rhetoric shows the Kremlin’s ambitions extend far beyond Donbas, as Moscow seeks control over all of Ukraine and the restoration of Soviet-era influence across Russia’s neighborhood. Speaking remotely at the fifth annual Helsinki Security Forum on Friday, Zelensky cited Putin’s own rhetoric to challenge European skeptics and the idea of neutral mediation.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “So his goal is not the east of Ukraine. It is not Donbas. His aim is to occupy our entire state,” Zelensky said. Pointing to remarks Putin made at Russia’s Valdai Forum a day earlier, the Ukrainian president argued that the Kremlin’s objectives extend far beyond eastern Ukraine. “An independent Ukraine, a strong Ukraine, is a big problem for Putin,” Zelensky said. He highlighted Putin’s assertion that Ukraine cannot exist independently and that other states are supposedly using Ukrainians to wage war against Russia. “There were important signals yesterday,” he said. “I don’t think he said it accidentally: Ukraine is not a state, and it is not an independent state.” Zelensky linked Putin’s latest rhetoric directly to the Russian leader’s long-running fixation on the collapse of the Soviet Union. He recalled Putin’s infamous 2005 declaration that the fall of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century, contrasting that political grievance with the actual human tragedies of the era. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine to Speed Up Identification of Fallen Soldiers as Over 26,000 Bodies Returned An interagency group will review forensic bureaus and add international DNA testing capacity to shorten waits that leave families uncertain for years. “He did not speak about the First World War as a tragedy. He did not recognize the Second World War as [the greatest tragedy]. He did not mention other wars,” Zelensky said. “He could have mentioned Afghanistan and other things, or the Chernobyl disaster – a horrible disaster. He mentioned none of the things that were connected to human lives.” Instead, Zelensky argued, Putin focused entirely on the loss of Soviet power. “Therefore, his goal is obvious: to bring it all back, to bring the USSR back.” “The fact that he was saying this again yesterday serves as yet another indication of what he wants – of his attitude toward peace, whether he wants the war to end and, even if he does, at what price.” Zelensky argued that Moscow seeks to recreate not necessarily the Soviet Union in its former institutional form, but the sphere of influence the Kremlin once exercised across neighboring states. “Undoubtedly, this is about bringing back the influence of the USSR – or Russia’s influence – but making it comparable with the influence the former USSR once had,” he said. “He has total influence over Belarus. But I am sure that he wants all of that back.” Warning for the Baltic states and Russia’s neighbors Zelensky warned that the implications extend beyond Ukraine. If Putin’s ambition is to restore Moscow’s former regional dominance, he argued, the Baltic states and other countries sharing borders with Russia would also face pressure. “Therefore, these challenges would also concern the Baltic states and countries with which Russia shares borders,” Zelensky said. He urged those in Europe who remain skeptical about the scale of Russia’s ambitions to look directly at Putin’s own words. “And nobody stops him in these messages,” Zelensky said. “And that is weakness of the world.” Asked about Ukraine’s biggest EU obstacle, Zelensky answers: ‘Putin’ Zelensky was also asked what he considers the greatest obstacle facing Ukraine as it pursues European Union membership while simultaneously fighting Russia’s full-scale war. His answer was one word: “Putin.” “He really doesn’t want that to happen,” Zelensky said. “And it’s not about his opinion, but what he’s doing for this not to happen – against the development of our state, against the geopolitical choice of the people.” “When we are talking about what the EU means for Ukraine, it is a victory over Russia – even a victory over Putin,” he said. “Because the EU is the choice of our people.” Security guarantees, he added, are critical because they protect Ukraine’s ability to follow the geopolitical course chosen by its citizens. “And therefore it is important to have security guarantees, because these guarantees protect the path that the people of Ukraine have chosen.” The Helsinki Security Forum is being held in the Finnish capital from Oct. 2–4 under the theme “Layers of Security.” The fifth annual gathering brings together policymakers and experts to discuss European defense, technological sovereignty, transatlantic relations, energy security, nuclear deterrence and Russia’s role in European security. ‘You cannot build total defense’ by buying weapons Zelensky also used the forum to lay out lessons Ukraine has learned after years of defending itself against Russia. A country seeking genuine security must first develop strength from within, he said, beginning with its military. “The main guarantee for Ukraine is the army of our state.” But an experienced army alone is not sufficient, Zelensky argued. He emphasized the importance of a technologically advanced force, a domestic military-technology sector and defense production capable of rapidly adapting to battlefield requirements. Energy resilience is another critical component, he said, particularly decentralization of infrastructure vulnerable to attack. Ukraine shifts from weapons recipient to security partner The second layer of security, Zelensky said, is international cooperation. He thanked the European Union, European countries and the United States for financial, technological and military assistance since the outbreak of the war. Ukraine received weapons it previously lacked, including NATO-standard systems, he noted, but its relationship with partners is increasingly becoming a two-way exchange. Ukraine is now sharing knowledge gained through years of high-intensity warfare. Zelensky highlighted a recent drone cooperation agreement with Finland as an example. “It’s not about just selling or buying drones or missiles,” he said. “It’s about sharing your security experience throughout the duration of this agreement.” Ukraine is willing to share that knowledge with countries that supported it, Zelensky said, pointing to the trust built between Kyiv and Helsinki. The third layer is collective security, particularly NATO. Zelensky congratulated Finland on securing guarantees through membership in both the European Union and NATO. “These are allies in economy, allies in technology, and allies in security,” he said. “This is of utmost importance, and this is what Ukraine is counting on.”