Zelenskyy: Putin has already started World War III, Ukraine prevents wider escalation

2026-02-23 - 10:22

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted in a recent interview with British media that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already launched World War III, with Ukraine's resistance preventing its transformation into a broader global conflagration. "I believe Putin has already started it, and has for a long time. We are preventing him from turning it into a larger-scale, full-fledged World War III. Today, we are the front line stopping Putin," Zelenskyy stated. Air Defense and Licensing Criticisms Zelenskyy identified air defense as Ukraine's most pressing challenge, criticizing allied reluctance to provide licenses for domestic production of critical systems. "Unfortunately, our partners have not yet granted licenses allowing us to produce Patriot systems ourselves, or at least manufacture missiles for the systems we already have," he said. He emphasized that securing Ukrainian skies would protect civilians, enable children's education, sustain economic activity, and generate tax revenue to fund the military, lamenting that this remains unachieved. European Financing and Contract Army Transition While expressing gratitude for European funding through the Priority Requirements List program, Zelenskyy noted assistance levels vary significantly among countries, with some providing substantial support, others minimal contributions, and some actively hindering aid. He stated current financing remains insufficient given Russia's military advantages. Zelenskyy proposed that European partners could fund Ukraine's transition from a mobilization-based force to a contracted professional army, similar to Russia's paid soldier system, noting this area currently lacks European financial support.