President Volodymyr Zelensky last night warned that a ‘frozen conflict’ will lead to Vladimir Putin‘s Russian army returning to Ukraine with ‘aggression’.
Speaking in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president told ITV News that any attempt to stop the war without ironclad security guarantees would only encourage the Russian leader to return and take what remains of Ukraine.
Zelensky, in his first major interview with a British TV network since Donald Trump‘s return to the White House, made clear that his country’s future cannot be decided without Ukraine’s agreement.
‘A frozen conflict will lead to Putin coming back again with his aggression. Who will then be receiving prizes? Who will then make history as a winner? No one,’ the president said.
‘That will be a loss to absolutely everyone – and it is very important for us as well as for Trump. He needs to not just finish the war, he needs to make sure that Putin has no chance of coming back with a war against us.
‘I believe this is the most important part. Everyone must admit that. Then it will be a victory.’
It comes after footage emerged showing injured Russian troops hobbling into battle wearing protective gear and carrying crutches for support as it was revealed more than 1,000 of his men are killed every day.
Zelensky also addressed concerns over how a potential Trump presidency could impact support for Ukraine.
Speaking in Kyiv , the Ukrainian president told ITV News that any attempt to stop the war without ironclad security guarantees would only encourage the Russian leader to return and take what remains of Ukraine
Police bomb squad members work at a site of a building hit by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Izium, Ukraine February 4, 2025
‘A frozen conflict will lead to Putin coming back again with his aggression,’ Zelensky said
The brutal conflict has already left 837,000 Russian soldiers dead or wounded, with reports emerging of crippled troops being patched up and sent straight back to the front lines on crutches due to Moscow’s desperate shortage of fighters
Joe Biden strongly backed Ukraine, but since taking office, Trump has indicated he could take a different approach – including taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on Russia to force an end to the war.
Yet, the Ukrainian president warned that any rift between Washington and Kyiv would only benefit the Kremlin.
‘If there is a confrontation, God forbid, between the Ukrainian stand and the American stand – I don’t even want to think about it – then Putin is the only one who wins from it,’ Zelensky said.
‘Putin’s victory is a loss for the Western world, both Europe and the United States. And he will never stop.
‘However long [Putin] lives, he will be living in the Kremlin. However long he lives, he will be taking lives away. He will carry on fighting the war.’
Zelensky defended Ukraine’s growing number of cross-border attacks into Russian territory, including operations in the Kursk region.
Russia’s casualty rate in January alone is believed to have hit a staggering 48,000 dead, wounded, or missing, making it the second bloodiest month of the war since Putin’s full-scale invasion nearly three years ago.
A serviceman of 24th Mechanised brigade named after King Danylo of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fires a 2s5 ‘Hyacinth-s’ self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops at a front line
A member of Ukraine’s 72nd Brigade Anti-air unit fires at a Russian Zala reconnaissance drone over head on February 23, 2024 near Marinka, Ukraine
Wounded Russian soldiers were seen leaning on crutches before going into battle
Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) are seen inside a bus after a swap, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine February 5, 2025
Ukrainian servicemen operate a Soviet-made T-72 tank in the Sumy region near the border with Russia
Meanwhile, North Korean forces sent to support Russia’s war effort are also taking heavy losses, according to the latest battlefield reports.
Ukraine’s military has slowed the Russian advance, with reports suggesting Putin’s invaders only managed to gain around 120 miles of territory in January – significantly less than in December.
At the same time, Kyiv has ramped up its long-range attacks inside Russia, striking military targets hundreds of miles behind enemy lines in an effort to weaken Putin’s war machine.
The brutal conflict has already left 837,000 Russian soldiers dead or wounded, with reports emerging of crippled troops being patched up and sent straight back to the front lines on crutches due to Moscow’s desperate shortage of fighters.
Ukraine still holds territory inside Russia, particularly in Kursk and western Belgorod, while North Korean troops deployed to assist Russia are reportedly being wiped out in fierce battles.
A Western official said: ‘We believe the Ukrainian figures on Russian losses are credible. The Russians are recycling wounded troops back into battle, often on crutches, as they continue to take massive casualties.’
A drone view shows an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Ternopil, Ukraine December 2, 2024
Ukrainian firefighters try to put out a fire in a building after a drone strike in Kharkiv on February 5, 2025
Servicemen from the 3rd Separate Tank Brigade of the Ground Forces of Ukraine camouflage their tank at one of the front lines in the Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine, 06 February 2025
Firefighters work at a site of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine February 5, 2025
Meanwhile, a British volunteer soldier is feared to have been killed in Donbas, Ukraine.
Christopher Walker, 39, a former Royal Artillery member, went missing after joining the fight in 2023. His family and friends are still awaiting official confirmation of his fate.
On Thursday, Zelensky awarded medals to Ukrainian soldiers and acknowledged that holding Russian land – even in small amounts – could prove a valuable asset in any future negotiations.
‘The aggressor and criminal can and should be fought in their own home. The occupier can and should be confronted on their own territory.’
Despite the uncertainty surrounding America’s political future, Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the continued backing of the UK, EU, and US.
‘We have such friends today in the world because of the people. If we lose that support, we lose everything,’ he said.
‘We need more security guarantees from our partners. But for today, the greatest security guarantee is that we have the support of the people – and I am proud that we have such relations.’
