Victory for Ukraine means its survival, Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with ABC News. According to the Ukrainian leader, the goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin is to control the whole of Ukraine.
"As long as he can't do it, victory will be on our side. That's why survival is a victory for us. Because we survive thanks to our identity, our country, our independence," Zelensky said.
At the end of March, Putin said that Russia controls the LPR by 99%, and the DPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions by more than 70%.
In June, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin stressed that Russia had never questioned the right of the Ukrainian people to independence and sovereignty. In September, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum, the Russian leader noted that at the same time, Ukraine's accession to NATO and the deployment of foreign military on its territory were unacceptable for the Russian Federation, and security guarantees should be worked out not only for Kiev, but also for Russia.