Kyiv (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Ukrainian President Zelenskyy says Western pressure, including sanctions and diplomacy, will determine whether Vladimir Putin can sustain the war.
As reported by Alperen Aktas of Anadolu Ajansı, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s capacity to continue its war in Ukraine depends less on Vladimir Putin’s statements and more on Western pressure.
What did Volodymyr Zelenskyy say about Vladimir Putin and Western pressure on the war?
Speaking before traveling to Brussels, President Zelenskyy dismissed Vladimir Putin’s claims of holding Russian-controlled Ukrainian regions as familiar messaging rather than a demonstration of power.
He said,
“The signals that Putin is giving are absolutely nothing new to us. I have always said that he does not want to end the war. The question is, can he continue it? This question already depends on our partners, on their pressure – sanctions first of all, and diplomatic pressure.”
Mr Zelensky added that Moscow’s ability to continue the war on the same scale would be severely limited if sanctions pressure is properly enforced.
Mr Zelenskyy confirmed that the US has conveyed its willingness to negotiate an end to the conflict with Moscow through both public and private channels, noting that Ukraine supports this diplomatic process despite serious challenges.
“We do not agree with all the features of certain future agreements. You know about this. We have questions; there are some disagreements regarding the territorial issue, financing, frozen assets, and some other issues that are not agreed upon,”
he continued.
According to President Zelenskyy, any delay by the Russian leader in the ongoing diplomatic process would require the US to increase pressure on Moscow.
What did Vladimir Putin say about military and diplomatic efforts in Ukraine?
President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday, 17 December, that Moscow might expand its control over Ukraine by military means if Kyiv and European leaders, labeled by him as “young pigs,” did not respond to US diplomatic initiatives.
At an annual Defence Ministry meeting, he said Russia, which sent tens of thousands of troops into Kyiv in 2022, was advancing on all fronts and would achieve its aims by force or through diplomacy.
He added,
“If the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.”
Mr Putin accused ex-US President Joe Biden’s administration of seeking to weaken Russia and claimed that European politicians were pursuing the same goal, though these accusations were firmly denied by EU leaders.
He slammed European leaders, calling them “shoats” and “young pigs,” for fueling fears of a potential Russian attack on NATO members.
“I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, pure nonsense about some imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is being done quite deliberately,”
President Putin continued.
Which EU and NATO leaders are meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Brussels summit?
A high-stakes European Council summit is being held on December 18-19, 2025, in Brussels. President Zelensky is meeting with the heads of state and government from all 27 EU member states, along with top EU and NATO officials. Key figures include:
- António Costa: President of the European Council (Chair)
- Ursula von der Leyen: President of the European Commission
- Friedrich Merz: German Chancellor
- Emmanuel Macron: President of France
- Bart De Wever: Prime Minister of Belgium (a key negotiator regarding frozen assets)
- Giorgia Meloni: Prime Minister of Italy
- Micheál Martin: Taoiseach of Ireland
- Mark Rutte: NATO Secretary-General
How many drone strikes has Russia carried out in Ukraine since the war started?
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that over 112,000 Shahed drones had been launched since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Figures from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in September 2025 documented nearly 50,000 Shahed launches specifically.
A December 2025 report cites a total of 66,826 drones of all types launched by Russia, with 45,959 intercepted by Ukrainian forces. Between January and May 2025, attacks averaged about 120 strikes per day, rising to 185 per day by late summer.
